C4E Forum – an ideal platform to bring the topic of energy efficient renovation to the forefront
Since the last C4E edition in 2023, the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive was officially adopted by the EU Institutions in April 2024.
With these regulations now fully in place and 2030 rapidly approaching, the focus must shift to on-the-ground implementation to achieve the EU’s climate neutrality goals. Member States must now prioritise the delivery of the Energy Performance of Buildings and Energy Efficiency Directives, underscoring the critical role of energy efficiency in reducing energy costs, enhancing living conditions, strengthening energy security, and boosting competitiveness.
Achieving an energy renovated building stock can be motivated by factors other than energy issues. For example, the terrible earthquakes in Croatia in 2020 motivated the government to introduce a programme of joint seismic and energy renovations across the affected areas. This has significantly stimulated renovation activities in that country.
Another approach can be to select a segment of the building stock for priority attention. For example, Romania chose its university buildings to be the subject of a programme that is co-funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) worth a total of €200m. It is well known that studying in properly renovated buildings boosts learning ability and reduces absenteeism in the student population.
The Central and Eastern European Energy Efficiency Forum (C4E Forum) serves as an ideal platform to bring the topic of energy efficient renovation to the forefront, convening key governmental and industry stakeholders, exploring strategies to accelerate national implementation, and sharing best practices. Be sure to join us in Croatia, from the 20th to the 23rd of May 2025!
About the author:
Adrian Joyce is Secretary General of Efficient Buildings Europe, the leading European industry association dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in European buildings.
He is also Director of the Renovate Europe Campaign, which has 49 48 partners from all segments of the construction sector and which has been the main organiser of the biennial Central and Eastern European Energy Efficiency Forum (C4E Forum) since the 2023 edition.
An architect by training with 18 years practice before taking up policy work in Brussels, he is a part-time Professor of Architecture at Louvain-le-Neuve, Belgium.
Among other roles, between 2017 and 2020 he was Chair of the Coalition for Energy Savings which, through its members, represents around 15 million EU citizens.