The owners’ association Haus & Grund is relieved, environmentalists warn of high energy prices. The member states themselves must clarify how the goals are to be achieved.
The EU agreement on new requirements for the energy efficiency of buildings is met with criticism from environmentalists. Associations of owners, the housing industry and the trades, however, expressed themselves largely positively, also because, in their understanding, a comprehensive renovation requirement for particularly poorly insulated residential buildings is off the table.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU states have agreed on stricter requirements for the energy efficiency of buildings in the fight against climate change. Specifically, the energy consumption of residential buildings is expected to fall on average by 16 percent by 2030 and by 20 to 22 percent by 2035.
For non-residential buildings, the regulations require 16 percent of the least energy efficient buildings to be renovated by 2030 and 26 percent by 2033. The EU states can largely determine how these goals are actually achieved.
Competition of worries
The owners’ association Haus & Grund announced that the risk of a massive decline in the value of buildings due to specific renovation obligations was off the table. “Nevertheless, homeowners in Germany and all of Europe face enormous challenges,” said association president Kai Warnecke, referring to the savings targets that have been decided. The Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies spoke of a good path. It is undisputed that CO2 emissions from buildings need to be reduced. According to the Central Association of German Crafts, even stricter requirements could have hit owners hard.
Irmela Colaço, building expert at the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND), said that a key measure for climate protection in buildings had been downgraded to a bedside rug. She would have liked stricter requirements for very poorly developed and therefore inefficient buildings. These fueled the climate crisis and energy poverty. Similar criticism came from the German Nature Conservation Association (Nabu). “People with low incomes often live in poorly renovated buildings and are also struggling with high energy costs,” emphasized Nabu President Jörg-Andreas Krüger. Those who live in poorly renovated buildings that use more energy are also hit harder by high energy prices.
Source: Stern
