The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is one of the key regulatory pillars of the European Green Deal for decarbonising the building stock by 2050, with intermediate milestones already set for this decade. In force since May 2024, the new EPBD strengthens both the pace and depth of renovation, prioritising the worst-performing buildings and broadening the focus from energy consumption to carbon emissions across the entire life cycle.

A recent fact sheet by the Climate Change Advisory Council provides a concise overview of the directive’s main provisions and their implications for the transformation of Europe’s building stock.

Among its main innovations are national building renovation plans, mandatory and subject to review every five years, which must set out clear pathways to reduce average energy consumption in the residential stock and progressively phase out fossil fuels in heating and cooling. The Directive also raises requirements for new construction, introducing the zero-emission building standard and the obligation to calculate and disclose embodied and operational carbon. In the non-residential sector, it establishes binding minimum energy performance standards and specific deadlines for renovating the least efficient stock. These measures are complemented by enabling instruments such as building renovation passports, solar readiness, enhanced energy performance certificates, and the rollout of infrastructure for electric mobility.