On Monday 9 October, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and the NGO ECOS - co-founded by the European Commission and EFTA and specialising in environmental standards - published a joint position ahead of the third interinstitutional meeting on 12 October on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) (see EUROPE 12854/13).
The co-signatories emphasise the importance of the energy performance of buildings in tackling climate change, pointing out that these buildings generate up to 40% of the EU’s total emissions, and that this figure is rising.
The Opinion notes that neglecting this sector could hamper the EU’s objective of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. Current policies, focusing on energy efficiency, overlook carbon emissions from construction.
The EEB and ECOS are campaigning for an approach that integrates carbon into the building’s entire life cycle, which would encourage renovation. They are also advocating harmonised regulations at a European level to facilitate the transition to carbon-neutral buildings by 2050.
To read the joint position, go to https://aeur.eu/f/8yp (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)