Kingspan fined €40 million by EU stars

Kingspan has been fined by EU regulators for providing incorrect and misleading information relating to the acquisition of another company.

Campaigners tell Irish government to publish Climate Action Plan

Stop Climate Chaos publicly pressed Minister for Climate Darragh O'Brien to publish the 2026 Climate Action Plan, which remains unreleased despite the year being nearly over, with a rally at the Dáil on Wednesday 16 September.

Scottish passive house equivalence receives cautious welcome

The UK’s Passivhaus Trust has published its initial response to the Scottish Government's Stage 2 consultation on a proposed Scottish ‘passive house equivalent’ policy, ahead of a fuller submission due before 16 October this year.

Free solar for energy-poor homes under reported €200m government plan

Solar PV could be rolled out as standard under the Warmer Homes scheme, alongside a suite of enhanced retrofit grants for low-income households, landlords and businesses, under proposals reportedly being prepared for cabinet.

New BER takes effect while ZEB details remain unclear

Ireland's Building Energy Rating system has moved to a simplified eight band scale, with a new A0 rating at the top reserved for zero emission buildings (ZEBs).

Planning reform will thwart low energy housing, councils say

Britain is failing to address housing as part of the climate emergency, according to a group of 60 local authorities, businesses and civil society groups who say government changes to planning rules could spell the end of zero carbon homes in England.

Wales unveils net zero pattern book

Wales’s devolved government has moved forward with plans to standardise sustainable, timber-based affordable homes in the country with the publication of a new pattern book.

Scotland committed to continuing passive house journey

Patrick Harvie MSP, the Scottish government’s minister for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants' rights, was a keynote speaker at the UK Passivhaus Conference in Edinburgh on 17 October, and shared his vision for energy efficient and low carbon buildings in Scotland.

EIB Group support new low-cost home energy upgrade scheme in Ireland

Ireland and the European Investment Bank (EIB) today reached an agreement that paves the way for government-backed, low-interest home energy upgrade loans. The agreement marks a major milestone in the development of the loan scheme which will be underpinned by resources from the EIB Group.

Scotland to mandate passive house for new homes

Scotland’s minister for zero carbon buildings is proposing to make the passive house standard, or a new Scottish equivalent, the minimum energy efficiency standard for new build homes from the end of 2024.

Government supported almost 27,200 home energy upgrades through SEAI in 2022

In the first of planned quarterly updates on the government funded SEAI grant schemes, Environment minister Eamonn Ryan and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have announced that almost 27,200 energy upgrades were completed in 2022, up 80 per cent on 2021, while applications are up 140 per cent.

EU votes through EPBD recast

Changes include embodied carbon, zero emission buildings and minimum energy standards

State passive house scheme breaks ground

The Land Development Agency (LDA), in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, has broken ground on the largest public housing scheme in the state in recent years – a passive house scheme at Shanganagh in Shankill, Co Dublin.

New technology centre to break barriers to construction innovation

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, TD, has launched Construct Innovate – a new Enterprise Ireland Technology Centre hosted at University of Galway which may play a key role in the transition to sustainable building in Ireland.