In September 2013, a national Energy Agreement (“Energie Akkoord”) was signed in the Netherlands with targets for energy efficiency improvements and the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in buildings in line with the requirements of the EPBD.
Building on the Energy Agreement, the Climate Agreement was signed on 28 June 2019 between the Government and over 100 public and private parties, representing all relevant sectors, and on 2 July 2019, the Climate Law was adopted by the Parliament. The Climate Law aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in all sectors by 49% in 2030 and by 95% in 2050 (related to 1990). The Climate Agreement describes a wide variety of measures in all sectors (not only buildings and the built environment) that public and private parties have agreed upon to reach the goals set in the Climate Law.
On 9 March 2020, the Government presented the Long Term Renovation Strategy (LTRS) as part of the implementation of EPBD Directive 2018/844/EU. The LTRS describes in a coherent way the wide variety of measures that the Netherlands will apply, both in the short and longer term, to reach a low carbon built environment in 2050.
In March 2020, measures to implement the above-mentioned directive came into effect, e.g., requirements for charging infrastructure for electrical vehicles, obligation to document the energy performance of technical building systems and changes to the inspection schemes for heating and air-conditioning systems. As of 1 January 2021, energy performance requirements at NZEB-level will be applicable for new buildings (both residential and non-residential). The energy performance will be calculated with the newly developed energy performance calculation method NTA 8800, which will be applicable for all new and existing buildings, both residential and non-residential.
The Climate Law and Climate Agreement show the ambition of the Netherlands to move to a decarbonised economy and built environment and to the implementation of the EPBD.
The Netherlands is currently preparing the implementation of the recast EPBD Directive (EU) 2024/1275.