The European Council of Shopping Places (ECSP), the association representing Europe’s retail property sector, has published its public position on the proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the EU’s flagship initiative to decarbonise the built environment.

Its response comes ahead of the European Parliament’s committee vote due to take place in January 2023. A final agreement is expected before summer next year. 

The European Commission has identified that buildings account for around 40% of the European Union’s total energy consumption and 36% of its GHG emissions. Consequently, the built environment plays a key role in reducing Europe’s carbon footprint. The emerging revision of the EPBD is an important part of a new EU regulatory framework to decarbonise the industry by 2050. 

ECSP is supportive of the primary objective of the draft revision, which seeks to ensure that all new buildings should be carbon neutral by 2030. 

Peter Wilhelm, chairman at ECSP, said that: “The reality is this new regulatory framework will soon be upon us. When it comes to buildings, 2030 is just around the corner. Under these new provisions, all new buildings across the EU will have to be carbon neutral.”