The EU taxonomy determines which conditions key construction activities will need to meet in order to be considered as sustainable and be eligible for sustainable investment.

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The Celsia team set out the top things you should know about construction activities in the taxonomy:

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• Activities that are included in the scope of the taxonomy are construction of new buildings, renovation of existing buildings, acquisition and ownership of buildings, demolition of buildings and installation and management of energy saving and performance measures in buildings. In other words, a substantial part of the construction industry is included.

• Construction of new buildings and renovations will be able to make a substantial contribution to climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, transition to a circular economy, and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems. 

• An Environmental Impact Assessment must be carried out for the activity to identify potential risks along with possible mitigation or compensation measures required to protect the environment.

• At least 70% of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste generated through construction must be prepared for re-use, recycling, or other material recovery

• New constructions should not be located on arable and crop land, on land of high biodiversity value or on land that is defined as forest.

• Buildings should have an energy requirement that is at least 10% lower than the threshold set for the nearly zero-energy building (NZEB). NZEB requirements are set out in national law of EU Member States. They are not yet defined in Norway but will likely be linked to energy efficiency and production of renewable energy. Celsia is closely following the development of how this will be implemented into national rules going forwards. The energy performance is certified using an as built Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

If you want to learn about the link between EU taxonomy and BREEAM assessments, read our blog.

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