With the EU ramping up its housing and climate commitments, Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhoods (SPENs) are proving that entire districts can be energy-positive while remaining affordable and inclusive. One initiative leading the way is syn.ikia, an EU-funded project demonstrating how social housing providers across Europe an deliver these climate-friendly communities. But what will it take to move from pilots to widespread adoption?
To help us answer that, we’re joined by Ciarán Cuffe, recently elected Co-President of the European Greens and a key architect of the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). We’ll discuss why the neighbourhood approach is essential for decarbonising Europe’s building stock, the biggest political and practical barriers to scaling up SPENs, and how the social housing sector can play a leading role in this transition.
And with major developments at the EU level—including the first-ever Commissioner for Housing, a European Commission task force working across policies, and growing momentum for a pan-European investment platform—could this be the breakthrough moment for energy-positive neighbourhoods?
