BRUSSELS, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) is pushing for new directives in an effort to upgrade its building stock in order to save more energy as the bloc rolls out an ambitious action to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Building renovation will play a critical role in the European Commission's Green Deal, said EU officials on Wednesday while presenting a package of proposals.
"In an unrenovated home, you're almost throwing money out of the window, as heat escapes from your windows, under your doors, and through uninsulated walls and roofs. Going through with this proposal will help to end energy poverty and the cycle of subsidizing energy consumption," said Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the Green Deal.
The revised Energy Performance of Buildings directive introduced by Timmermans aims at decreasing emissions, saving energy, tackling energy poverty, facilitating renovation, improving quality of life, and generating jobs and growth.
In the European Union, 85 percent to 95 percent of existing buildings are expected to still be standing by 2050, the deadline the EU has given itself to become carbon-neutral. As of today, 75 percent of the EU's building stock isn't energy efficient. Renovation of the existing buildings is thus critical in achieving the Green Deal, said the Commission.
Buildings account for 40 percent of the energy consumed in the EU, one of the largest sources of energy consumption in the bloc, and 36 percent of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
The revised Energy Performance of Buildings directive includes several clauses to help the EU's building stock become carbon-neutral by 2050.
To achieve this, the directive sets the obligation for new buildings to be zero-emission after 2030, and after 2027 for public buildings.
Buildings with the worst energy score, which amount to 15 percent of the EU's building stock, will have to increase their Energy Performance Certificate. Residential buildings will have to go from level G to F by 2030, from G to F by 2030, and reach level E of the energy certification by 2033. Public and non-residential buildings should reach level F by 2027.
The energy performance certificate will become obligatory for buildings on sale or offered for rent, and the use of the certificate will be extended to buildings undergoing major renovations, buildings for which a rental contract is renewed, and all public buildings.
Acknowledging that renovating the EU's building stock requires an effort, Timmermans said that financial help would become available through EU funding.
"It's really about helping to overcome the initial investment hurdle. As you will see in the proposals, we have EU-funding available, and other upcoming measures including the new State Aid guidelines will help member states to provide more support," he explained. Enditem