European buildings represent 40% of final energy consumption and 36% of GHG emissions related to energy, making them a priority axis for decarbonisation. For the EU, it is urgent to reduce buildings’ energy consumption, especially since 75% of existing buildings are reportedly energy inefficient (i.e. EPC band C or lower according to the SFDR) and require energy renovation work. To act on these issues, one of the main regulatory levers available to the EU is the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD). This directive requires EU countries to ensure that by the end of 2020, all newbuilds are nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB). This EU standard relies on two main pillars: a strong energy performance and the local production of renewable energy.

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The 2023 edition of Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report provides the most comprehensive look available at the world’s progress towards global energy targets on access to electricity, clean cooking, renewable energy and energy efficiency, giving the international community the latest global dashboard to register progress on the SDG7 targets at the halfway mark towards the 2030 deadline. It is prepared by the SDG7 Indicator Custodian Agencies: the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UN Statistics Division (UNSD) at UN DESA, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The report will be presented to high-level decision makers together with the SDG7 Policy Briefs at a special launch event on 11 July at the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York, which will include a global review of SDG7.

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is entering the last phase of the EU legislative process with the start of trialogue negotiations between the Council and Parliament. Against this backdrop, this briefing by BPIE provides an overview of where institutions stand at the start of the process and highlights where there is still room for improvement.

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About 90% of homes in the Netherlands depending on natural gas for heating, the Netherlands has made a commitment to phase out natural gas by 2050. To achieve the goal, the Netherlands has rolled out a natural gas-free pilot programme in 66 neighbourhoods. These neighbourhood pilot projects enabled municipalities to learn what it takes to start energy transition.

Based on a city survey carried out across 26 local governments, key findings from this report call on national and local governments joining up their efforts to take place-based measures.

This paper is the first case study applying the policy framework presented in the OECD report Decarbonising Buildings in Cities and Regions published in March 2022. The present case study provides a deep dive into the Netherlands’ experience to demonstrate the potential of cities and regions to advance the decarbonisation of buildings.

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The global renewable energy network REN21 launched its annual Renewables Global Status Report (GSR) Collection for 2023. A dedicated module on buildings explores the trends and opportunities for renewable energy deployment through the lenses of Policy, Investment, Market Developments and Challenges & Opportunities.

Renewables have demonstrated their value in all demand sectors as resilient, reliable, stable and affordable sources of energy, and they have successfully responded to the compounding crises now battering the world, according to REN21’s GSR 2023 Demand Modules, released today.

Read REN21's GSR 2023 Demand Modules here and stay in the loop for forthcoming modules.

This issue of Danfoss's white papers looks at all the energy that is currently wasted across sectors in the form of excess heat that could otherwise be reused. With the energy squeeze the world is facing, the authors of this white paper hope that this will be the moment that recycling waste heat becomes the norm.

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The technology and financing solutions needed to decarbonize the global building stock are available today. However, to truly realize a sustainable transformation, equity needs to be at the heart of the transition toward net-zero-carbon buildings, whether through addressing fuel poverty, investing in marginalized communities, upgrading infrastructure, or reducing costs to support greater clean energy access for marginalized communities. Now is the time for policies and programs to push forward an agenda that enables the decarbonization transition toward an equitable built environment.

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With the world in the midst of the first global energy crisis – triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine – the World Energy Outlook 2022 (WEO) provides indispensable analysis and insights on the implications of this profound and ongoing shock to energy systems across the globe.

Based on the latest energy data and market developments, this year’s WEO explores key questions about the crisis: Will it be a setback for clean energy transitions or a catalyst for greater action? How might government responses shape energy markets? Which energy security risks lie ahead on the path to net zero emissions?

The WEO is the energy world’s most authoritative source of analysis and projections. This flagship publication of the IEA has appeared every year since 1998. Its objective data and dispassionate analysis provide critical insights into global energy supply and demand in different scenarios and the implications for energy security, climate targets and economic development.

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Energy Efficiency 2022 is the IEA’s primary annual analysis on global developments in energy efficiency markets and policy. It explores recent trends in energy intensity, demand and efficiency-related investment, innovation, policy and technology while also discussing key questions facing policy makers. 

This year record-high consumer energy bills and securing reliable access to supply are urgent political and economic imperatives for almost all governments. In response to the energy crisis countries are prioritising energy efficiency action due to its ability to simultaneously meet affordability, supply security and climate goals.

While efficiency investment has recently been increasing to reach new record levels, the pace of global energy intensity improvements had noticeably slowed in the second half of the last decade and virtually stalled during the first two years of Covid-19. With efforts to better manage energy consumption as a result of the crisis increasing the rate of improvement once more, the question as to whether 2022 will see a sustained efficiency turning point, and what more can be done, are key themes of this year’s report.

Renewables 2022 is the IEA’s primary analysis on the sector, based on current policies and market developments. It forecasts the deployment of renewable energy technologies in electricity, transport and heat to 2027 while also exploring key challenges to the industry and identifying barriers to faster growth.

The current global energy crisis brings both new opportunities and new challenges for renewable energy. Renewables 2022 provides analysis on the new policies introduced in response to the energy crisis. This year’s report frames current policy and market dynamics while placing the recent rise in energy prices and energy security challenges in context.

In addition to its detailed market analysis and forecasts, Renewables 2022 also examines key developments and trends for the sector, including the more ambitious renewable energy targets recently proposed by the European Union; the issue of windfall profits; the diversification of solar PV manufacturing; renewable capacity for hydrogen production; and a possible feedstock crunch in the biofuels industry and viable ways to avoid it.