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Speeding up the implementation of Zero-Emission Buildings and Neighbourhoods through targeted financial policies

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European Countries

Speeding up the implementation of Zero-Emission Buildings and Neighbourhoods through targeted financial policies

21 October 2024
This paper puts forward 10 key policy recommendations for national and regional policy makers for overcoming financial barriers for building renovation and transforming existing buildings into zero emission or positive energy neighbourhoods by 2050.
Editorial Team

The transition to zero-emission and energy-positive buildings, neighbourhoods, and communities is key to unlocking the EU's climate and energy ambitions by transforming both new and existing buildings into drivers of decarbonisation. This ambition is also reflected in the recent recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EBPD), which will be transposed to national legislation by the Member States by the end of May 2026.

Despite the increasing maturity of the currently known enabling technologies, significant financial barriers hinder realising this potential at the necessary speed and scale. To address these challenges, several innovative demonstration projects have been developed across Europe as part of the EU’s research and innovation funding programmes. 

These 10 recommendations are based on experiences and learnings from 8 research and innovation projects in Europe, including 33 demonstration sites around Europe. While the EPBD covers both new buildings and building renovation, these projects and the following recommendations made, largely focus on building renovation and transforming existing buildings into zero-emission or positive energy neighbourhoods.

The paper also presents a stakeholder matrix of key built environment actors in building renovation towards zero-emission or positive energy buildings and neighbourhoods by 2050. The matrix presents the drivers, barriers and needs of each group to broaden the understanding of what needs to be regulated and who needs to be incentivised.

Policy Recommendation - Paper Speeding up the implementation of Zero-Emission Buildings and Neighbourhoods through targeted financial policies 2024_FINAL.pdf

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Alice Pittini (Housing Europe), Andreas Tuerk (Joanneum Research), Angela Greco (TNO), Ann Kristin Kvellheim (SINTEF Community), Inger Andresen (NTNU), Jannika Aalto (Green Digital Finance Alliance), Niki Gaitani (NTNU), Victoria Taranu (BPIE)
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