The EU Parliament has passed new regulations aimed at reducing emissions and energy consumption from buildings across the European Union.

By 2030, new buildings are expected to be emission-free, and the worst-performing public buildings are to be renovated.

Furthermore, by 2040, all heating boilers powered by fossil fuels are to be phased out.

The decision, however, faced controversy over concerns about the financial burden of renovations on homeowners, although these have been mitigated somewhat in the final legislation.

Notably, the rules do not apply to residential homes, and exceptions are allowed for agricultural buildings, churches, and structures of historical significance.