In 2024, the European Union adopted the newest recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The EPBD has long served as the EU’s primary legislative tool for setting energy efficiency and zero-emission standards for the built environment of its member states. However, this directive did not address the health of building occupants until this most recent recast.  By focusing on indoor environmental quality (IEQ), the EPBD clearly demonstrates that energy efficiency cannot come at the cost of health. 

The EPBD recast introduces several new requirements relating to IEQ. First, all EU Member States must establish their own national standards for indoor air quality. Second, all new non-residential zero-emission buildings must have air quality monitoring and control systems, and existing buildings must install these systems when they undergo major renovations if feasible. Third, Member States must consider optimal IEQ when setting their minimum energy performance standards. Together, these provisions continue to promote energy efficiency while, for the first time at such scale, protecting building occupants’ health.

Member States have several opportunities ahead of them on the path to implementation. Since the EPBD is an EU directive, it cannot set specific standards for all Member States. Instead, each Member State must interpret and transpose the requirements into its national legislation, with some Member States needing to take greater action than others to meet them. This creates the possibility of a patchwork of IAQ standards across Europe, which could exacerbate disparities in indoor environmental health. As the May 2026 deadline for implementing the EPBD approaches, Member States must coordinate their IEQ standards so that all people can expect to breathe clean indoor air, regardless of where they live in the EU. This deadline is quickly approaching, so Member States must act fast. Industry associations in Europe, such as REHVA, Eurovent, and Nordic Ventilation Group, have published model indoor environmental quality regulations that align with the EPBD’s provisions. Member States should rely on industry recommendations like these when developing their national legislation.  

It remains to be seen whether Member States will take advantage of this window of opportunity to adopt strong indoor air quality standards. But through cross-country collaboration of building industry professionals, researchers, and activists during this implementation period, a future of healthy indoor air is possible. The Pandemic Center is actively supporting this process, with further recommendations forthcoming. 

Porter Culp is a sophomore at Brown and a Fall 2025 UTRA student at the Pandemic Center. Porter is part of the Clean Indoor Air Initiative at the Pandemic Center and advanced this project in partnership with Dr. Georgia Lagoudas and Skandan Ananthasekar.