Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on the energy performance of buildings 

This Communication from the European Commission to the other European Institutions provides an initial roadmap of key policies and strategies required to achieve the European Union's "new growth strategy", centred on the concept of the European Green Deal. It aims at enhancing the union's climate targets and sets four core goals: 1) climate-neutrality by 2050, 2) protection of human life, animals and plants by cutting pollution, 3) helping companies become world leaders in clean products and technologies, and 4) help ensure a just and inclusive transition. These goals should be reached by developing a circular economy, decarbonising the energy sector, renovate buildings, support the industry to innovate, and green private and public transport systems.

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The Directive aims to improve the energy performance of buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a zero-emission building stock by 2050 within the EU. It seeks to ensure that outdoor climate conditions, local conditions, the requirements for indoor environmental quality, and cost-effectiveness are met in achieving this target (Article 1). It sets out rules for calculating energy performance; establishing minimum energy performance standards for new and existing buildings and building units; calculating and disclosing the life-cycle global warming potential of buildings; using solar energy in buildings, introducing renovation passports and national building renovation plans; and promoting smart buildings, among other things (Article 1(2)).
The Member States must ensure that the minimum energy performance standards guarantee that all non-residential buildings are at least 16% below the threshold by 2030, and 26% below the threshold by 2033 (Article 9 (1)). For residential buildings, they must ensure that the average primary energy consumption in kWh/(m^2.y) of the entire residential building stock decreases by at least 16% compared to 2020 by 2030, decreases by at least 20-22% compared to 2020 by 2035, and by 2040, and every 5 years thereafter, is equivalent to, or lower than the nationally determined value derived from a progressive decrease in the average primary energy use from 2030 to 2050, in line with the transformation of the residential building stock into a zero-emission building stock (Article 9 (2)).
Member states have until 29 May 2026, to incorporate the directive's requirements into their national laws.

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