A carbon-neutral property stock for the EU by 2050?!

A carbon-neutral building stock for the European Union in the future? Everyone is aware of the environmental and societal challenge we must address. And our authorities are working on it.

It was time to take effective action. Indeed, the construction sector is one of the most polluting in Europe. In Brussels, for example, buildings alone are responsible for two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions.
That is why, in May 2018, Members of the European Parliament approved new rules aimed at achieving a low- or zero-emission building stock in the European Union by 2050.

What changes?

In practical terms, this means that each Member State must implement national strategies to promote more energy-efficient buildings.
Existing properties, both public and private, will therefore need to be renovated, while new buildings will need to be more environmentally intelligent.
The objective is therefore to decarbonise buildings and maximise the use of renewable energy.

In practice

The European Union is encouraging the use of information and communication technologies in the construction sector. These include, for example, artificial intelligence algorithms capable of monitoring the balance between production, consumption and storage. These will help stabilise the grid.
Automation is becoming the watchword for ensuring sustainable buildings. To achieve this, the EU is committed to making public and private funding available to reduce household energy bills through the renovation of older buildings.

Today in Brussels, a building achieves an average energy rating of D, or even E. The objective is to attain a PEB rating of C by 2050. To achieve this, from 2030 owners would be required to carry out renovation work every five years.
Private individuals can rest assured that various forms of support will be available:

• Information campaigns on the benefits of renovation;
• Expansion of existing support schemes;
• Green loans extended to more beneficiaries;
• A special scheme planned for co-owned properties.

So… challenge accepted?

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