Hélène Sibileau joined BPIE in February 2021 as Senior Policy Advisor. Before that, she was Senior EU Affairs Manager for almost six years at EuroACE – Efficient Buildings Europe, a Brussels-based business association representing manufacturers of energy-efficient products in buildings. At EuroACE, she advocated for more ambitious EU policies in the field of energy performance of buildings and lobbied the negotiations of key files of the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package. Hélène’s missions ranged from monitoring, policy analysis, drafting amendments and implementing advocacy strategies towards the EU institutions.

In this Expert Talk, Sibileau reflects on the tools needed to support a fair decarbonisation of Europe’s buildings, stressing the importance of scaling up existing solutions, improving access to financing, and ensuring strong national implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

She also shares her perspective on the 2024 EPBD recast, noting key improvements for new and existing buildings and highlighting how stronger planning tools and better information frameworks can help accelerate renovation efforts across the EU.

Finally, Sibileau discusses how decarbonisation and the fight against energy poverty can go hand in hand, underlining that well-designed policies, if implemented effectively, can protect vulnerable households and support access to healthier, more affordable homes.

The BUILD UP Expert Talks series is an initiative of the BUILD UP portal and features face-to-face interviews with experts from across Europe, offering diverse perspectives on key topics related to energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings. These interviews align with the Topic of the Month and explore it in depth, providing valuable insights, experiences and expertise to the BUILD UP audience.