The European Commission has published its detailed assessment of sixteen National Building Renovation Plans (NBRPs), which will guide renovation policies across the EU in the coming years. Member States submitted their draft plans in December 2025 and are expected to deliver the final versions by December 2026. In parallel, the Building Decarbonisation Partnership analysed the relationship between renovation policies and Local Heating and Cooling Plans (LHCPs), required under the Energy Efficiency Directive for municipalities with more than 45,000 inhabitants.

The Partnership’s research, covering ten countries, concludes that there is currently no alignment between building renovation strategies and district heating and cooling planning. This gap is significant, as deep renovation reduces energy demand and may affect the sizing and investment needs of district systems. The Commission’s assessment examined whether Member States addressed the phase‑out of fossil fuel boilers before 2040 and whether renovation policies are coordinated with local heating and cooling planning, but genuine integration remains limited.

To support better coordination, the Partnership has proposed BREACH planning, a voluntary approach enabling municipalities to integrate renovation considerations into their LHCPs. The process includes team setup, data collection, district prioritisation, scenario development, financing and implementation. A detailed roadmap is under development and is already being tested with several European cities, with initial results expected in the coming months.