Greens/EFA MEP Ciarán Cuffe has accused the European Commission of lacking ambition in today’s launch in Brussels of draft revisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. This will be the primary legislative tool under the Fit for 55 package to reduce the carbon emissions of buildings and put the EU on track to climate neutrality. Currently, buildings are responsible for 40% of the EU’s energy consumption and 36% of its Green House Gas emissions.Speaking today, Green MEP for Dublin, Ciarán Cuffe said:“The Commission’s proposal includes good language calling for the alleviation of energy poverty and lowering our building stock’s dependence on fossil fuels. The EBPD will have a huge role to play in fighting energy poverty by lowering energy bills and making our homes more energy efficient. It will also provide assistance to homeowners looking to renovate their homes by encouraging the establishment of one-stop-shops, helping to boost the renovation rates across the EU.” “Critically, the revised EPBD includes provisions on Minimum Energy Performance Standards, which have the potential to improve our worst performing homes, to alleviate energy poverty, and significantly reduce the emissions from the EU’s building stock. The proposal provides a roadmap for phasing out energy inefficient homes by requiring that certain buildings to reach a minimum performance standard, but it does not go far enough. Striving for an F energy rating for public buildings by 2027 reflects a lack of ambition on behalf of the European Commission. Four weeks after the COP26 Climate Conference concluded we should be aiming higher and match our legislation with the ambition from Glasgow.“The EU needs to take leading role in tackling climate change and ensure that we have a sustainable future. This will not be possible unless we create a framework to ramp down carbon emissions from buildings with the help of EU legislation. While the Commission’s proposal is a step in the right direction, what we really need is greater ambition to meet our climate obligations. I look forward to working with the Commission and my colleagues in the European Parliament in creating an ambitious and effective framework that tackles energy poverty and promotes safer, healthier homes.”ENDS