Act firmly on energy security – Leading CEOs urge the ITRE Committee to adopt an ambitious Buildings Directive

Leading CEOs of European frontrunners on energy efficiency wrote to the Members of the European Parliament’s ITRE Committee, urging them to adopt an ambitious Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

In addition to the climate crisis, Europe is facing a severe energy prices and inflation crisis, hurting households, businesses, and economies. We see this as a pivotal moment where the mid-term objective of carbon neutrality must meet the short-term necessity to phase out fossil fuels.

Energy efficiency is the best policy to shelter European citizens and businesses from high energy prices, restore European sovereignty while improving living conditions of our citizens. This is why structural measures to stop energy waste must be put in place before short term economic relief measures are phased out.

The EPBD must align the 3 ingredients to boost dormant renovation rates:

• A solid Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) regime: establishing MEPS in the EU will encourage investments throughout the renovation value chain, unlock further production capacity and help companies optimise training programmes. Clear timelines and benchmarks will also help homeowners to better plan their renovation works.
• Increased access to quality information and guidance: One Stop Shops and information tools such as Energy Performance Certificates, Renovation Passports and the Smart Readiness Indicator must be rolled out to facilitate and simplify renovation works.
• New instruments to mobilise finance: EU and national funds can be used more efficiently to cut costs for homeowners, and dedicated mortgage portfolio standards and renovation loans can facilitate access to finance.

Our industry is ready for the challenge. With the necessary supporting measures and clear commitments from policymakers, we are confident our industries can deliver on more ambitious European energy and climate objectives. Europe cannot afford to lose another decade when it comes to energy efficiency in buildings.