Renovation Week organised by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU

Over four days, from 15 to 18 January, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU organised the Renovation Week in Brussels. The event could not have been more topical as on 15 January, Members of the European Parliament from the Industry & Energy committee adopted the political agreement on the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (37 +, 20 -, 6 abstentions).

The Presidency structured the event around high-level discussions and thematic panels focusing on the EU renovation challenges both in terms of labour and skills, the transition to sustainable buildings with a particular focus on which materials to use to minimise greenhouse gas emissions. Attendees had the opportunity to discuss the role of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and how this tool can be used to drive renovation across the EU. Four Member States (Portugal, the Netherlands, Flanders and Ireland) presented the how EPCs are being used to support policymakers and stakeholders estimate the financial needs of renovations and monitor the results of the implementation of measures taken at the European and national level. The panellists also emphasised the crucial role of EPCs in incentivising renovation actions. The upcoming implementation of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) with the introduction of Renovation passports should only improve this dynamic and give clear recommendations for windows and glazing replacement.

The third day of the Renovation Week focused on materials at the heart of the transition towards sustainable buildings. The morning was dedicated to discussions on reducing the of carbon footprint of materials and the need to develop guidelines on whole-life cycle assessment for buildings. In the afternoon, site visits were organised throughout Brussels to highlight successful and sustainable renovations. Projects such as the Usquare in the Ixelles neighbourhood demonstrated the importance of natural daylight by turning a garage into a future workplace for university students. Special attention was also paid to the products used by the dismantling of windows in a building that was demolished in order to reuse the glazing for internal partitions in a new building.

The Renovation Week marked the ambition of the Belgian Presidency for the issue which should be further materialised with the adoption of the EPBD political agreement at the ministerial level in the coming months.