‘Bâtiments fonctionnels’: Small but essential amendments to the draft law are appropriate

Mouvement Ecologique and Oekozenter Pafendall have submitted a joint statement on the draft law introducing an investment aid scheme for energy renovation measures in functional buildings to the Minister for Economy and Energy.

The draft law introducing a support scheme for the energy renovation of functional buildings aims to encourage investments to improve the energy efficiency of the non-residential building stock. The support scheme is limited in time until 2030 and is explicitly designed as a transitional instrument pending the introduction of future binding minimum energy performance standards.

In the related opinion, the draft law is generally welcomed. At the same time, several structural necessities for the further development of the support scheme are identified. In particular, a mismatch is highlighted between the time-limited nature of the scheme and the long-term objective of achieving a climate-neutral building stock by 2050, as established at national level and by the European Union.

• Against this background, the opinion first recommends complementing the mandatory energy advisory service with a step-by-step renovation roadmap extending to 2050. Such long-term planning would help ensure that measures supported today remain future proof, comply with the requirements of the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD), and that public funds are used in a targeted and efficient manner by avoiding unnecessary repeat renovations and inefficient investments.
• Secondly, the opinion points out that the draft law focuses exclusively on energy efficiency during the operational phase of buildings and fails to consider the energy and environmental impacts of construction materials over their entire life cycle. However, achieving climate neutrality by 2050 requires that these impacts be considered alongside operational energy consumption. The opinion therefore recommends systematically assessing the use of insulation materials derived from renewable resources and prioritizing them where technically appropriate.

With these adjustments, it would be ensured that Luxembourg’s legislation and public support schemes effectively contribute to national and European energy and climate objectives, while at the same time guaranteeing the efficient use of public funds.

You can download the joint statement (French) here.

January 22nd 2026