Two logos side by side: on the left, the World Green Building Council logo with a stylized Earth and green-blue ribbons; on the right, 'ADVANCING NET ZERO' in blue with a green accent on the 'O'

World Green Building Council Urges Review of EPBD

24 October 2022

At Varming Consulting Engineers Ltd., we are at the forefront of the Irish construction industry, with our building design team regularly involved in cutting-edge installations in a variety of settings. We have our ears close to the ground when it comes to developments in the industry, and we bring you something significant from the World Green Building Council (WGBC).

An ambitious revision of the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) has been put forward by the WGBC in order to not only address climate change but also; minimize dependence on Russian gas, deliver quality buildings, create 3.3 million new ‘Green’ jobs for the EU and bring 35 million EU citizens out of energy poverty.

Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050

The WGBC states that European buildings still account for 36% of carbon emissions and 40% of energy consumption, meeting the EU Green Deal’s object of carbon neutrality by 2050 requires an ambitious framework that recognises both the potential and impact of buildings.

As such, they urge European policymakers not to shy away from their responsibility and support an upgrade of the current EPBD. This calls for strict new measures to guarantee that Europe’s current old/energy-inefficient buildings are renovated and new buildings created to meet optimum low-carbon standards.

MEPs & EU Council Members are urged to ensure any updates to the EPBD contain the following 5 key elements:

  • Minimum energy performance standards
  • Strengthened energy performance certificates
  • The Zero Emission Building standard
  • Building renovation standards
  • Whole Life Carbon reporting

This call has support not just from WGBC Europe, but also from its large network of building stakeholders. Working collaboratively with policymakers to implement the measures proposed is key to ensuring a successful EPBD revision.

Supporting Sustainable Building Design

We understand what’s required to achieve these lofty targets, and our M & E consulting engineers and building services design consultants will continue to provide highly-efficient building installations that align with climate targets. To see the work we have done in this field, please take a moment to look through our many past projects.

You’ll find them on our website www.varming.ie where you’ll also discover more about our services and long history. Alternatively, to speak to us about anything else, call our Dublin HQ on 01 4872300 and we’ll be happy to assist in any way we can.