What are the objectives of the EU directive on green houses
Italian real estate assets are worth 6 trillion euros. What will be the impacts of the directive that wants to make the home of Europeans greener?
On February 9th, the discussion in the EU Commission will begin on the European directive that aims to make European homes greener by 2030. A law that should see the light not before six months but which already worries, in Italy, the many owners of house that they will have to adapt.
ITALIAN REAL ESTATE IS WORTH 6 THOUSAND BILLION EUROS
According to data from Immobiliare , the portal for the rental and sale of properties, Italian real estate assets are worth more than 6 trillion euros. Moreover, more than 42.7 million people living in Italy, 72.5%, reside in owned homes .
THE CONDITION OF ITALIAN PROPERTY: 75% OF PROPERTY BUILDING BEFORE 1991
The green house is not a prerogative of Italy. The Italian real estate assets tend to be dated and inefficient. This is certified by the SIAPE data elaborated within the latest “ Annual report on the energy certification of buildings ”. Of the approximately 1.3 million APEs analysed, 75% concerned buildings built before 1991 and therefore before law 10/91 , the law aimed at improving energy transformation processes, reducing energy consumption and improving conditions of environmental compatibility of energy use. Just over 3% of the APEs analyzed refer to new buildings, almost 4% to energy redevelopments and less than 2.5% to major renovations. “This makes it clear that the energy efficiency of the Italian building stock is quite lacking – said the ENEA president -. However, there is a slight reduction in the percentage of properties in the lowest energy classes (F and G), resuming the improvement trend that stopped in 2020". Between 2020 and 2021, the percentage of properties in energy classes F and G decreased by around 2%, in favor of those CE (+0.5%) and those A4-B (+1.5%). These data make it clear that more than half of the real estate stock (classes G and F) should be renovated by 2030, around 12.2 million residential buildings.
THE GREEN HOME DIRECTIVE IS PART OF THE FIT FOR 55 PROJECT
The directive that aims to make Italian homes greener is part of the Fit for 55 project , an environmental policy which, by 2030, aims to reduce CO2 levels by 55% compared to 1990 data. Buildings represent 40% of consumption energy and 36% of harmful gas emissions. The directive therefore aims to encourage member states to review the building stock by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and combating energy poverty in homes and cities.
CIARÁN CUFFE'S EXPLANATIONS: IT STARTS WITH THE 15% OF THE MOST POLLUTING BUILDINGS
In an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore, Ciarán Cuffe , rapporteur at the European Parliament on the proposal for a directive that aims to make European buildings more efficient from an energy point of view, clarified some crucial aspects of the regulatory act. First of all, the proposed directive presented "provides for each country to identify the 15% of the most polluting buildings (therefore belonging to class G) and to improve their energy efficiency". In the proposed directive, "buildings with the worst performance (ie belonging to classes G, F and E), public and non-residential" must reach " class D by 2030 ". Instead, "residential and social housing buildings have until 2033 or more to achieve this goal".
THE DEROGATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS PROVIDED FOR BY THE EUROPEAN DIRECTIVE ON GREEN HOMES: PROTECTING THE HISTORICAL HERITAGE
Exceptions are foreseen, such as, for example, "a temporary shortage of workers" or in the event that some Member States "want to adjust the energy performance requirements for some parts of the building stock". There are also exceptions which, assures the deputy Ciarán Cuffe, take into account the historical real estate heritage of our country . “The text of the directive provides for exceptions: historic buildings, those protected (…) according to national legislation, will be exempt from renovations – says the MEP -. The same definition of historic property will be left to individual member countries , and we do not intend to ask to abolish laws that currently protect historic centres. In any case, monuments are not covered by the directive. Therefore, there are no requirements for national monuments."
CREATING JOBS IN THE GREEN ECONOMY
The MEP, who denies rumors that highly polluting buildings could not be rented or even sold, points out that one of the directive's aims is to create jobs in the green economy . “In addition to improving energy efficiency and more generally the safety of buildings, the goal is also to create new jobs in the green sector – said Cuffe -. Many wonder where the money will come from. I have spoken to many financial institutions who tell me: once the legislative framework is approved, the money flows will come ”.
FEDERICA BRANCACCIO (PRESIDENT OF ANCE): “GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES ARE NEEDED”
A few days ago, the president of Ance Federica Brancaccio underlined that such a "revolutionary" plan needs the support of state subsidies for its implementation. “For months we have been asking for a far-reaching proposal with objectives for 2030 and 2050 – said the president of Ance -. The time has come to sit around a table to give a perspective to the incentive policy, without stopping at the micro-changes on bonuses or credit transfers".
A GREEN HOME: THE WORKS DONE THANKS TO THE 110% SUPERBONUS
From 1 January 2023 the superbonus 110 retired, in favor of the 90% superbonus which, at the moment, seems to be much less attractive and without considering that at the end of 2023 the incentives will drop to 70%. This can make us imagine that it will be more difficult for condominiums to find the resources for imported renovation works such as the thermal coat (the remaking of the vertical walls) which involved 26% of the interventions financed with the superbonus 110, the replacement of the fixtures, the 18% of the interventions, or the insulation of ceilings and roofs. When the only concession was the ecobonus , which provided a 70% tax discount, less expensive renovations were preferred such as the replacement of windows, the replacement of condensing boilers and work on horizontal walls only after that.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/quali-sono-gli-obiettivi-della-direttiva-ue-sulle-case-greeen/ on Sun, 22 Jan 2023 08:47:01 +0000.