Europe’s sustainable buildings regulation should go beyond carbon dioxide emissions and energy efficiency
EU member states should incorporate “holistic” sustainability and social impact measures when transposing the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive into national law, argues the Buildings Performance Institute Europe think-tank.
The institute’s Healthy Buildings Barometer 2024 outlines 10 “policy gaps”, which, it says, European regulators should focus on to ensure the EPBD takes greater account of sustainability and the social and health impacts of buildings when implemented across the EU.
Policy gaps in the EU’s EPBD, according to the BPIE, include: the limited promotion of low-carbon design principles and materials; a lack of detail to support the construction of buildings adapted for extreme weather and rising temperatures in Europe; and limited regulations for biodiversity preservation.
The EPBD’s current sole focus is the energy performance and carbon dioxide emissions of buildings, the report says. The directive, which was adopted by the European parliament on March 12, calls for new buildings to be zero-emission from 2030 and to make the whole EU building sector climate neutral by 2050.
The BPIE report recommends that by 2030, European policymakers should develop a coherent policy framework for buildings, including “more holistic regulations and standards for healthy buildings beyond energy performance”.
The report also recommends that biodiversity rules on building construction within the EU are adopted by 2040. Additionally, by 2050, participatory design principles should be brought in to involve users in the process of designing sustainable buildings by proving opportunities for building users to offer their opinions throughout the design process, the report adds.
The report is available to read here.