The accusation from Better without boilers: behind the “green homes” directive, which requires the energy upgrading of buildings, lies the gas lobby.
The European Parliament's plenary has approved the directive proposed by the European Commission on the energy performance of buildings. There were 343 votes in favour, 216 against and 78 abstentions. The Parliament's vote is "the first step towards opening negotiations on two acts, a regulation and a directive, to facilitate access to the renewable gas network", the institution's press office announced. The directive's journey is not over: the next steps will involve the Council and the European Commission, which will need to weigh in before a final version can be reached.
But what are renewable gases? The European Parliament explains that these are low-emission gases, such as biomethane and hydrogen. However, several experts are concerned that behind the vote lies an attempt by the fossil fuel lobby to save domestic gas boilers fuelled by methane.
Through the text of the Epbd (Energy performance of buildings directive), nicknamed for convenience the "green homes" directive, a series of obligations are set out to energy-retrofit the least efficient buildings. The text that was voted on is the same one proposed in February by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (Itre), a standing committee of the European Parliament.
The text, led by Irish Green MEP Ciarán Cuffe, stipulates that European residential buildings in energy class G will have to move to energy class F by 2030 and D by 2033. Public buildings will instead have to reach the same classes by 2027 and 2030 respectively. All new buildings, meanwhile, will have to be zero-emission from 2028 (from 2026 for those owned or managed by public authorities).
There is a whole range of exemptions, covering detached houses with a floor area of less than 50 square metres and second homes, but in general, if the directive were to be approved in the final negotiations with member states as well, it would become mandatory to move beyond energy class G — currently the lowest — which represents, on average, 15 per cent of the existing building stock at European level.
To achieve these objectives, therefore, refurbishment and energy efficiency works will be required on buildings, meaning above all thermal insulation works or improvements to the heating system.
It is precisely on this last point that criticism from the environmental front has been concentrated. With their vote in favour, MEPs introduced, where technically feasible, the obligation to install photovoltaic panels (by 2028 for new builds, by 2032 for renovations), while at the same time allowing the possibility of keeping gas boilers with a view to replacing methane with "renewable gases", meaning gases produced with low CO2 emissions.
Low-emission gases refers to hydrogen and biomethane, already included in the RePowerEU plan, presented on 18 May 2022 by the European Commission to "end the European Union's dependence on Russian fossil fuels [and] address the climate crisis". The aim is to create a European hydrogen market and to collectively guarantee at least 35 billion cubic metres of biomethane by 2030, with the objective of replacing at least 20 per cent of Russian gas imports.
Gas industry lobbyists are putting pressure, including through unauthorised means, on EU officials in an attempt to save domestic gas boilers by exploiting Europe's green agenda, according to a report published by the coalition Better without boilers (Bwb). "On at least three occasions", the report states, "undisclosed meetings took place between the gas lobby and key figures in the debate on the future of domestic gas consumption in Europe, attended by EPP MEP Sean Kelly".
In short, lobbyists made contact with the MEPs most closely involved in the negotiation process, convincing them to promote the message that hybrid boilers would be ready to run on hydrogen and biomethane from one day to the next. But according to the Bwb member organisations, which include Legambiente, hydrogen boilers would be disastrous from every point of view: economically, because, as explained in an article in Nature, investing in heat pumps is the better long-term option; and from a safety perspective, because hydrogen boilers cannot follow the same installation standards as current gas boilers.
"As Legambiente, we are calling for a stop to the installation of new fossil gas boilers from 2025", explains Katiuscia Eroe, the organisation's energy officer. "We must stop promoting gas boilers as a sustainable solution, removing these technologies from all incentive schemes immediately." Legambiente and the other Bwb organisations warn that the consequences of this "boiler-saving loophole" will be felt by Italian citizens, from energy bills to air quality, negatively affecting Italy's ability to meet its climate targets, innovate the construction sector and boost employment.
However, the Italian government has expressed other concerns as well. "The Parliament's vote does not satisfy Italy" was the response of Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, who announced that, as was also done in the case of the ban on selling zero-emission cars from 2035, "we will continue to fight in defence of the national interest".
The minister is calling for an exemption for Italy on the matter of building energy efficiency. According to Fratin, "this text lacks any serious consideration of the Italian context, which differs from that of other European countries for historical reasons, geographical configuration, as well as a deeply rooted view of the home as a safe-haven asset for Italian families". In short, for Italy, the exemptions already identified in the directive would not be sufficient.
