Posted on May, 04 2017

This paper provides some recommendations on how the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union can drastically reduce the energy consumption of existing buildings, by increasing the rate and depth of renovations when adopting the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

An improved and stronger EPBD is crucial to deliver additional energy savings and will therefore contribute to achieving the overall energy efficiency 2030 target established in the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), which WWF believes should be set at 40%.

The European Commission’s package “Clean Energy for all Europeans” highlights the crucial role the building sector can play in the energy transition by reducing emissions at the same time as boosting the construction industry and improving citizens’ living conditions. However, while getting the narrative right and pointing to the key bottlenecks that impede the transformation of buildings in truly efficient assets, the Commission fails to propose the solutions that will drive the change in the sector we need, at the pace required.

WWF believes that the number one priority for the building sector is to drastically reduce the energy consumption of existing buildings, by increasing the rate and depth of renovations. In parallel, the integration of buildings in a well-functioning renewables-based energy system must be supported to ensure that the remaining energy needs of the building stock are supplied by clean and sustainable energy.