Energy performance of buildings directive: how the Carbon Trust is helping to make implementation a success

The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive holds the key to significant improvements in the energy efficiency and carbon performance of the existing stock. The Carbon Trust, a company set up by Government and backed by business, therefore welcomes the Directive as one instrument which has the potential to impact on the existing stock as well as new build. It is therefore working hard to make the Directive a success.

Time is tight, however. January 2006 is only 15 months away - not much time to get ready for action. Many people are thinking about the implementation, what needs to be done, by whom and by when. Views are emerging about the options for implementation ranging from the sophisticated through to the simple. Some key questions need to be answered to crystallize the policy framework.

The Carbon Trust's position is clear and unambiguous. Implementation should start as intended in January 2006. This should be the first priority given the fact that the Directive is focused on carbon savings; that the UK will have the Presidency of the European Union and that climate change is a chosen theme of the Prime Minister for the forthcoming G8 Summit which the UK is hosting. We think this timetable, although tight, is feasible provided we make use of as much existing knowledge as possible and keep implementation simple. We therefore consider that the primary objective between now and January 2006 should be to get simple procedures in place that will enable the UK to make a creditable start down the implementation road.

The Directive provides a ?wake up? call to building owners, tenants and building professionals. It is the first step in raising awareness that some buildings are more energy efficient and present a lower carbon footprint than others; and in indicating the kind of measures which could reduce energy bills and carbon footprints. We think that awareness can be raised by a simple label. It does not have to be complicated. Similarly, giving an indication of the kind of measures which could improve energy efficiency and impact on carbon emissions need not be complicated. The essence of implementation should be towards pragmatic solutions which avoid placing burdens on business and which get the Directive moving in the UK. Follow up to indicative recommendations made as part of the operational and asset ratings, for those building owners who wish to follow up, can be delivered via a number of organisations including the Carbon Trust, specialist consultancies, etc.   For those who don't wish to follow up, the signal of tightening of regulation in the future must provide further impetus.

We think the long term objective of the Directive - reducing the carbon footprint of the EU buildings stock by an estimated 40 or so million tonnes of carbon - cannot be achieved by simply issuing certificates. It requires informed action. But the first step is to raise awareness and help building owners understand why energy/carbon should be on their agendas at all. We must not delude ourselves: energy is not, as a rule, on the agendas of property owners. There is therefore a huge job to do to convert awareness to action. The Carbon Trust is actively engaged on initiatives to inform key players in business, commerce, the finance and public sectors about the link between their energy consumption, carbon dioxide and climate change. We provide accredited design advice support and, in a major new buildings initiative, we will be developing and promoting good, solid examples of how to reduce the carbon footprint from today's buildings. The Government has announced, in its energy efficiency action plan, their procurement policy to draw from the top quartile of buildings selected on the basis of their energy performance.

These actions represent a positive shift to a new low carbon policy so far as buildings are concerned. The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is a key piece in the policy jigsaw and the Carbon Trust is pleased to be working with Government Departments, professional bodies and others to make the implementation of the Directive a success.