European Green Houses Directive: climate neutrality by 2050

The EU Parliament approves the directive that designs the green future of housing

The Green Homes Directiveenergy performance of buildings

The Directive aims to reduce emissions60% by 2030

Times and methods

Each member state is called upon to define the interventions suitable for achieving, by 2050, a zero-emissions building stock

In line with the nature of the directive, each state establishes ways to reduce the consumption of its building stock according to the intermediate deadlines set by the directive:

• newly built private buildings
• residential buildings
• non-residential buildings

  Each state will draw up the national restructuring plan, indicating a roadmap and objectives to follow, which must be updated every 5 years

  By 2040, methane gas boilers will have to be totally eliminated and, starting next year, member countries will no longer be able to offer tax incentives for the purchase or installation of these heating systems.

  Among the fundamental interventions, thermal insulationreplacement of fixturesmore efficient heating systems

  The new EU Directive provides some exceptions and does not apply to agricultural and historic buildings, and member countries can also decide to exclude buildings protected for particular architectural or historical value, temporary buildings, churches and places of worship.

  New Buildings

  Buildings must be designed and constructed in such a way as to minimize their environmental impact

  New buildings will have to be energy efficient

  The Directive requires new buildings to be renewable energy ready, which means they must be designed to easily integrate renewable energy technologies in the future, for example through the pre-installation of infrastructure for solar panels or heat pumps.

  Renovation of Existing Buildings

  Achieving the final goaland it cannot depend only on new green buildings

  Each Member State will have to adopt a national plan55%

  According to the Directive, existing buildings that undergo major renovations will have to comply with the same energy efficiency standards required for new buildings.

  In suitable existing buildings, the installation of solar panels will take place gradually starting from 2027.

  Italian situation

  In Italy, over 82% of buildings are residential, i.e. 12 million

  By 2050, buildings with the least performing classes F and G will have to be subject to renovation works aimed at improving insulation and energy efficiency.

  According to the ENEA Superbonus report480,815 buildings

  The EU Commission has made it known that it will not provide new funds: it will therefore be possible to count exclusively on allocations such as the Pnrr, the Social Climate Fund and the Cohesion Funds.

  The directive will admit among the forms of support those that guarantee tax reductions such as tax deductions and credits. The EPBD also mentions the forms of support that allow savings directly in citizens' bills.

  Next steps

  The Green Homes Directive will complete its legislative process with its adoption by the Council and will officially enter into force twenty days after its publication in the Official Journal. Furthermore, by 2028, the European Commission will review it again for any necessary corrections.

  From its entry into force, Member States will have two years to transpose the Directive and apply it using the national and European resources available.

  The European Commission estimates that by 2030, 275 billion euros of investments