Hardly any regulation will change the construction and property industry as fundamentally in the coming years as the new EU Buildings Directive EPBD 2024. Many future topics are now gradually becoming mandatory: CO₂ balances in the energy performance certificate, the phase-out of fossil heating systems, zero-emission standards for new buildings and digital building models for every project.
Many people are now asking themselves: Are our existing processes and products still sufficient? What specific requirements will we face? And when? If you wait too long, you run the risk of being left out of tenders, authorisations or financing. The good news is that those who deal with the new requirements in good time can not only avoid risks, but also gain competitive advantages.
In this blog, you can find out what the EPBD 2024 essentially requires, who it affects and which steps are crucial now. At the end of the blog, you can also download our white paper, which contains lots more valuable information for you.
The revised EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD 2024) came into force on 28 May 2024. It forms the regulatory framework for the decarbonisation of the European building sector. The EPBD 2024 sets binding targets, minimum standards and verification obligations. All member states must transpose the requirements into national law within 24 months.
The aim of the directive is to make the EU's building stock climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest. The pressure to act is high: buildings currently account for around 40 per cent of energy consumption and 35 per cent of CO₂ emissions. Three quarters of existing buildings are considered energy inefficient and the annual refurbishment rate is just one per cent.
The EPBD 2024 aims to significantly improve these values. The directive requires specific measures to be taken over the entire life cycle of a building: from planning, construction and operation through to dismantling and disposal. The decisive factor here is not just the energy requirement during operation, but the overall balance of all emissions.
The EPBD 2024 not only places new requirements on buildings, but also restructures the rules for planning, construction and operation. The focus is on five central requirements:
From 2030, new buildings must no longer have any CO₂ emissions caused on site. This will already apply to new public buildings from 2028. Energy requirements must be low and covered by renewable sources.
At least 16 per cent of non-residential buildings with the worst efficiency class must be renovated by 2030, and as many as 26 per cent by 2033. National reduction targets for primary energy consumption apply to residential buildings.
From 2025, subsidies for new fossil fuel boilers will be cancelled. The complete phase-out is to take place by 2040 at the latest. Member states can issue national installation bans.
From 2028, the global warming potential of new buildings with more than 1,000 m² must be shown in the energy performance certificate, and from 2030 for all new buildings. The entire life cycle is assessed.
BIM models, digital verification systems and automated monitoring solutions are becoming mandatory. They serve as the basis for planning, operation, verification and funding.
The new requirements of the EPBD Buildings Directive 2024 have a profound impact on existing structures and leave no player in the construction industry untouched. It is now crucial to know your own role, understand the timetable and take the right steps. Those who act early can avoid regulatory risks and gain targeted advantages.
The EPBD Directive of 2024 significantly increases the requirements for planning and verification. In future, carbon footprints will have to be drawn up in the early design phase, environmental impacts assessed and digital building models created. Life cycle analyses (LCA) will become mandatory, as will the use of building information modelling (BIM). Anyone who wants to get projects approved or subsidised in the future must provide reliable emissions data, environmental product declarations (EPDs) and complete digital documentation. The EPBD is fundamentally changing planning processes and requires new skills, tools and interfaces.
In future, the economic viability of a construction project will no longer depend solely on rental income, energy efficiency or construction costs. The decisive factor will be whether the project is EPBD-compliant and thus has access to authorisations, ESG-compliant financing and subsidies. Without a carbon footprint, low-emission technology and digital evidence, a project can fail. Investors should therefore integrate regulatory requirements into project development at an early stage and ensure that all parties involved provide the necessary evidence. Pressure is also increasing in existing buildings: inefficient buildings lose value and rentability.
The EPBD Directive obliges Member States to take targeted action against inefficient existing buildings. Owners must therefore check whether their properties are affected. Particularly in energy classes F and G. From 2026, concrete evidence and refurbishment roadmaps will be required. Those who fail to prepare for this risk economic losses, regulatory intervention or funding exclusions. Operation is also changing: in future, buildings will have to be continuously monitored, emissions documented and digital monitoring data made available. And not just for the owner, but also for tenants and authorities.
Environmental product declarations, carbon footprints and digital product data are becoming a prerequisite for market access and eligibility for tenders. Without verified emission values and documented life cycle data, it will hardly be possible to take them into account in planning, certification or funding in the future. Systems with reliable evidence are required - ideally in the form of EPDs. The decisive factor is no longer just the technical performance of a product, but the proven environmental impact over the entire life cycle.
If you would like to learn more about the implications of the EPBD Directive for your industry, download our white paper.
With the EPBD 2024, technical building equipment is also moving to the centre of the CO₂ assessment for the first time. In future, pipework systems, insulation materials and distribution systems will have to demonstrate their environmental impact over their entire life cycle: from production to dismantling.
Grey energy is particularly relevant here - i.e. the emissions generated during the manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance and disposal of a building product. In energy-efficient new buildings, it often accounts for more than 50 per cent of total emissions. From 2028, the corresponding data must be included in the energy performance certificate, and from 2030 for all new buildings.
This also changes the role of products. Systems with verified environmental product declarations (EPD) and digital interfaces for BIM models and carbon footprints are required.
The EPBD 2024 is more than just a technical specification. It is a roadmap with clear deadlines, binding targets and specific requirements. It will be implemented in several phases.