Decoding the nexus between energy efficient renovations and safeguarding access to affordable housing

The buildings sector is a crucial sector to tackle greenhouse emissions. Buildings were responsible for 34% of EU energy related emissions in 2022 but their potential for cutting emissions remains untapped. At present, three quarters of the EU’s buildings have poor energy performance, with less than 1 percent of the building stock being deeply renovated each year.

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was updated and recently entered into force. Member States need now to implement the new rules deriving from the European legislation at the national level. These include provisions on energy performance standards, one stop shops, zero emissions buildings and trajectories for improving the energy performance of residential buildings.

At the same time, access to housing, especially for vulnerable groups, is becoming a critical issue for countries worldwide. In Europe, housing affordability is one of the most prominent topics in local and national debates.

It is crucial to ensure that the solutions applied for the transformation of the building stock for reducing operational and embodied emissions are combined with complementary measures to safeguard people’s right to affordable housing. This is critical because lower-income groups are those least responsible for climate change, while they could benefit most from retrofit measures and the move away from volatile fossil fuels. However, they are also those most at risk of not being able to afford the additional capital costs needed to meet the EPBD requirements.

The appointment of the new Commissioner for Energy and Housing and the upcoming publication of a first ever European Affordable Housing Plan, which will also include a Strategy for Housing Construction is a great opportunity to leverage solutions that transform the building stock in view of the climate crisis combined with measures to safeguard people’s right to affordable housing. In this process, it will be key to address the role of cities and ensure that their experience and views are fully considered when designing and implementing the relevant European and national policies.

As the closest form of government to the residents, local governments can implement together with local stakeholders the most targeted and appropriate solutions that address multiple crises. In the case of the building sector and the housing crisis, they do not only hold most of the building stock but also have the power to take significant actions to improve the comfort and the efficiency of buildings for residents.

In this context, this event aims to:

• Contribute to better understanding of the EPBD’s risks and opportunities as well as of policy options and solutions available to jointly address the energy performance of buildings and housing affordability in Europe.
• Gain insights into potential recommendations on the nexus of the implementation of renovations, clean construction and safeguarding access to affordable housing in an integrated way
• Promote the cities priorities also in view of the new European Affordable Housing Plan