New buildings in the EU will have to have zero carbon emissions by 2030

Kadri Simson, the European commissioner for energy, said buildings use 40% of Eurpoe's energy and create 36% of our greenhouse gas emissions. Picture: Francisco Seco/AFP/Getty

New buildings in the EU will have to have zero carbon emissions by 2030, according to a new proposal from the European Commission.

The EU's governing arm is also proposing that the least energy-efficient homes and business premises in the bloc be upgraded in the same time period.

Energy commissioner Kadri Simson said: “Buildings are the single largest energy consumer in Europe, using 40% of our energy, and creating 36% of our greenhouse gas emissions. That is because most buildings in the EU are not energy efficient and are still mostly powered by fossil fuels. 

We need to do something about this urgently, as over 85% of today's buildings will still be standing in 2050, when Europe must be climate neutral.

Improving homes is also an effective response to high energy prices, she added.

"The worst-performing buildings in the EU consume many times more energy as new or properly renovated ones. And it's often the most vulnerable who live in the least efficient houses and therefore struggle to pay the bills. Renovation reduces both the energy footprint of buildings and the energy costs for households, while also boosting economic activity and job creation."

Energy Performance Certificate

Under the new commission proposals, "buildings must consume little energy, be powered by renewables as far as possible, emit no on-site carbon emissions from fossil fuels and must indicate their global warming potential based on their whole-life cycle emissions on their Energy Performance Certificate".

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is akin to the Building Energy Rating (BER) that exists in Ireland since 2009. 

From January 2009, a BER certificate and advisory report are compulsory for all homes being sold or offered for rent in Ireland. 

Around one million buildings have been given a rating in the 12 years since it was introduced. 

Rating upgrades

The commission said under its new proposals it would require the worst-performing 15% of the building stock of each member state to be upgraded from a G rating on the EPG scale to at least an F by 2027 for non-residential buildings and 2030 for residential buildings.

Like the Irish requirement, buildings for sale or rent must also have a certificate, and the energy performance class will need to be stated in all advertisements. 

By 2025, all certificates must be based on a harmonised scale from A to G, the commission said in its proposals.

Renovation must be contained in each state's climate action plan, it said.

"This will ensure comparability and tracking of progress, and make a direct link to mobilising financing and triggering the reforms and investments that are needed," the commission said. "These plans will need to include roadmaps for phasing out fossil fuels in heating and cooling by 2040 at the latest, along with a pathway for transforming the national building stock into zero-emission buildings by 2050."

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It acknowledged the sheer cost of renovation, which has been a major headache for governments as they grapple with how to tackle energy efficiency and get public buy-in.

However, while it did say there should be "easier access to information and lower costs for consumers help to boost renovation", it offered little detail as to how householders could actually do so.