Ireland’s EU Presidency Offers Unique Opportunity to Achieve Healthy Homes

Healthy Homes Ireland has hosted a meeting at the European Commission office in Dublin to consider Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency and its transposition of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and implications for the delivery of healthy, sustainable and affordable homes.

The biannual Forum meeting brought together senior officials from relevant government departments and agencies, and industry leaders from housing, public health, construction, engineering, architecture, the environment and academia.

Susan Vickers, Chair of Healthy Homes Ireland, provided an overview on the transposition of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and introduced Ciarán Cuffe, former MEP for Dublin who served as the European Parliament’s lead rapporteur on the Directive during its revision, and who is current co-chair of the European Green Party, to share his perspective on the progress of the Directive and reflect on learnings from other member states. He highlighted the drive of a just transition towards a fully decarbonised built environment by 2050.

Ciarán Cuffe said: “While the original Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (released in 2002) focused exclusively on energy efficiency, it now has a much broader scope, focusing on decarbonisation, but also improving everyone’s health and wellbeing, including the most vulnerable in society. Looking ahead to Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency, we must consider how we can use this unique leadership window to position Ireland as a frontrunner in delivering healthy buildings policy and in doing so ensure this objective is delivered on across Europe.”

Susan Vickers, Chair of Healthy Homes Ireland, said: “As Ireland prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we have a unique opportunity to demonstrate leadership in delivering healthier, warmer and more energy-efficient homes. The forthcoming transposition of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is not simply an energy policy exercise; it is a public health opportunity.

“By placing health, indoor air quality, thermal comfort and the needs of vulnerable households at the heart of implementation, Ireland can help shape a European model that reduces emissions while improving people’s quality of life. Healthy Homes Ireland believes the EU Presidency provides the ideal platform to champion the vital link between healthy buildings, healthy people and a sustainable future.”

Jeff Colley, #IGBC BuildingLife Ambassador, Editor of Passive House Plus magazine, Chair of the Heat Pump Association of Ireland; Vince Harney, Member of the SCSI Sustainability Working Group specialising in Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and energy matters, Finance and Corporate Services Manager at ECO-UNESCO; and Clare O’Connor, Programme Coordinator for Heat, Friends of the Earth Ireland, led a lively panel discussion focusing on the big picture of the EU Presidency and Irish ambition for the transposition of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Healthy Homes Ireland (HHI) is an initiative between VELUX and the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC). Established in December 2021, the collaborative project aims to raise awareness of the connection between health and housing, ensuring energy efficiency does not compromise occupant health in renovated and new homes.