The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (recast) has moved a step closer to enactment with the European Parliament formally adopting the revised directive on 12 March 2024. The revised Directive aims to progressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption in the EU building sector and make it climate neutral by 2050. Obligations to be imposed on member states include:

• emissions reduction targets which will require all new buildings to be zero-emission from 2030;
• renovation of the worst performing buildings; and
• phasing out fossil fuels in heating and cooling.

It is expected that the EU Council will also formally adopt the Directive at first reading at one of its next meetings after which it can be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Member states will then have 24 months to transpose the Directive into local law.

The Parliament’s adopted text is available here. We will publish a comprehensive Q&A on the detail of the Directive shortly.