Build Better Lives is an initiative that seeks to unite social, housing, climate and youth movements together to promote the need for more energy efficient buildings that can benefit millions of people’s lives throughout Europe.
Better buildings build better lives through creating safer, healthier and more comfortable environments where many of us work, play and live. More energy efficient buildings reduces our energy consumption, which lowers our energy bills along with greenhouse gas emissions. This all starts with policy.
Governments need to implement EU and national legislations around building renovation and heating decarbonisation in a manner that is inclusive and will deliver benefits for all. The revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is a crucial starting point that can steer EU member states towards developing more supportive frameworks for holistic building renovations that combine insulating our buildings and installing renewable heating solutions.
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
The EPBD was put into effect in 2002 to set requirements for Member States to improve the energy performance of buildings with the aim to reduce the EU’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, progress on the Directive has been slow.
Our buildings have been neglected and households across Europe are now paying the price for the complacency shown by EU and national policymakers.
A more ambitious, socially and environmentally sound EU Buildings Directive has the potential to lift millions of homes out of energy poverty while taking us a step further in the fight against the climate crisis. The directive can mark the end of dangerous fossil fuel-based installations being installed in our homes and buildings. Instead, through deep renovations and the installation of renewable energy and heating systems, Europe’s buildings can set the foundation for an inclusive, fair and just energy transition.
A strong and clear regulatory framework needs to be implemented with equally strong social safeguards. The most vulnerable households must be made a priority in the deep renovation wave. By setting a minimum energy performance standard within the residential sectors, the worst-performing buildings can be brought up to a more acceptable energy rating. A higher energy rating can lead to a reduction in energy costs, energy consumption and energy poverty, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The ambition level of the EPBD is currently being negotiated between the EU Commission, EU Parliament & EU Council. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to push policy makers to support a strong legislative framework that prioritises improving the energy performance of the leakiest buildings and encompasses financial support, technical aid and strong social protection. Building better buildings today can build better lives for tomorrow.
We – Europe’s civil society, social, health and environmental NGOs, local authorities, trade unions and youth movements call on policy makers to ensure Europe’s buildings provide the foundation for an inclusive, fair and just energy transition that puts people at the core. Buildings are responsible for up to 40% of the EU’s total energy consumption and the majority of our buildings (75%) are deemed inefficient, which means that most of the people in the EU live in unfit housing. Yet, for decades, there has been close to no effort towards inclusive and ambitious building policies that would support the energy renovation of Europe’s buildings. This political inaction demonstrated by EU and national policymakers has impacted households across Europe who are now feeling the full brunt of the fossil fuels crisis.
The ‘trilemma’ of rising energy costs, a cost of living crisis and a climate emergency have arrived at our front doors, with millions of households having to choose between eating or heating. Making our homes and buildings energy efficient and renewable-based is the answer to these issues as it can help reduce our dependence on dangerous, expensive and volatile fossil fuels, help shield people from energy poverty, and improve air quality while also combatting the climate crisis. This starts with a strong EU policy framework, along with investments and resources that can be directed towards activating the relevant actors on the ground who can make the transition in our buildings a reality. Creating more energy efficient homes saves us energy and money, protecting the right to a comfortable and healthy living environment for all.
This starts with a strong EU policy framework, along with investments and resources that can be directed towards activating the relevant actors on the ground who can make the transition in our buildings a reality. Creating more energy efficient homes saves us energy and money, protecting the right to a comfortable and healthy living environment for all.
In order to deliver a socially and environmentally sound Buildings Directive, we believe that:
As we are urged to reduce demand for energy and stop using fossil fuels as quickly as possible, combining insulation works with the installation of renewable heating and cooling systems will deliver high energy savings and greater emission reductions, while integrating buildings into the energy system, helping us get the most potential out of investments.
Improving the energy performance levels of residential buildings is crucial to deliver a just and inclusive transition in our buildings. Considering that the housing sector is very diverse, social safeguards need to be designed at national and local levels together with social facilitation measures. These must protect tenants and homeowners and secure housing accessibility to all residents, and take into account a mix of different dwelling types when designing renovation programmes.
Ensuring the allocation of tailored accessible and affordable funding means taking into account not only economic but also racial, age and gender equality considerations among other important dimensions when designing financial schemes for renovations. Also the typology of buildings’ tenures should be taken into account as different financial instruments and/or technical assistance measures could better address both economic and non-economic barriers of more complex energy renovations of multi-apartment buildings.
With a clear Paris-Agreement-Compatible roadmap, supporting and enforcement measures, governments, regional and local authorities will be enabled (and required) to prepare the needed energy infrastructure to save energy and tap into local renewable heating potentials. Delivering highly energy efficient homes, phasing out fossil fuel-based heating systems and boosting green jobs requires cooperation with anti-poverty organisations (social service providers, NGOs and local health practitioners), energy communities, trade unions, industries and financial institutions.
A long-term perspective can support both public and private actors in designing the necessary enablers (public and private financing and technical assistance), improving working conditions and providing training schemes to upskill workers. This will ensure the creation of sufficient direct jobs and that there is a sufficient supply of skilled workforce, with decent working conditions and strong social protections, to decarbonise our buildings in the most inclusive and environmentally-friendly way.
Now more than ever, decision-makers must address skyrocketing energy bills, heating and cooling challenges and the looming climate crisis. We need a legislative framework that prioritises the leakiest buildings and encompasses financial support, technical aid and strong social protection; because a socially just and ambitious Buildings Directive, means delivering better buildings for better lives tomorrow.
Available to download as a PDF in English, Spanish and French.
Eva Brardinelli, EU Buildings Policy Expert at CAN Europe, reflects on the tumultuous revision process of the Energy Performance Buildings Directive (EPBD) and how this is now a starting point for European Union member states to ramp up their efforts towards holistic building renovation that leaves no one behind. Despite
Extreme drought in Summer, floods in Autumn, cold winters…anxiety, asthma, arthritis…for people in some parts of Europe, energy poverty has become an all-year-round worry. Many people find it difficult to live within their homes due to these health risks, even some would rather spend their time in a warm bus or in the public library.
Improving building policy in the European Union is not just a matter of enhancing energy efficiency; it is a crucial instrument in the fight against energy poverty and health inequity. Current estimates reveal a staggering number; over 50 million households suffer from a lack of adequate energy services in the home, significantly affecting their physical and mental health.
As a response to the energy crisis, Flanders implemented a rent indexation stop for energy leaky housing with the goal of easing the ordeal for vulnerable tenants that are facing higher living costs, a tripling of their energy bills and rent indexation. The measure led to an increased number of renovations according to the Flemish Rent Platform, as landlords looked to maximize their profits. Nonetheless, the Flemish government decided to discontinue the indexation stop, as supposedly the energy crisis is “over now”.