Public buildings must lead the way in reducing fossil fuel imports

Ahead of the final trilogues on the Energy Efficiency Directive on 2 and 9 March 2023, the Renovate Europe Campaign wrote to national governments urging them to support a robust Article 6 on public buildings.

Around 40% of all energy consumed in the EU is used by Europe’s buildings, and energy renovation is the long-lasting solution to the energy, social and climate emergency. Public buildings must lead the way, not only to set the tone, but also to prepare the market for the wider uptake of renovation, as their diversity makes them a microcosm of what will need to happen in other building segments.

The campaign called on governments to:

• Reject the alternative approach, which would allow public authorities to delay deep renovation until 2040, and keep social housing within the scope of Article 6
• Ensure that buildings renovated under Article 6 reach zero-emission building level, not only nearly zero-energy level