At the sixth edition of the Efficient Romania Forum, organised by the Energy Policy Group (EPG) with the support of OMV Petrom, buildings were once again at the centre of a strategic dialogue on efficiency, equity and sustainability. At a time when the European Union is reshaping the legislative landscape through the new EPBD Directive, high calibre experts from European institutions, public authorities, industry and civil society gathered in Bucharest to reflect on the direction Romania is taking in its effort to transform the built environment into an ally of decarbonisation.
Radu Dudău, President of EPG, opened the conference with a plea for “a culture of energy efficiency in buildings” and recalled that Efficient Romania is “the largest multi-year program dedicated to this purpose, with an educational dimension, but also a concrete one: the renovation of schools to nZEB standards”. Then, with one eye on the international context and the other on local communities, Radu Dudău insisted on the Forum’s integrative character: “It is our flagship event, [the place] where we gather every year and take stock – not just of what we’ve achieved but also the challenges we face.”
In her turn, Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom, underlined the role of information and education in transforming society: “When we understand them we change our habits, we change our behaviors”. The Efficient Romania project has shown that such campaigns can create a real multiplier effect, going beyond each one-off project. “We are very proud that we’ve had four done already and two underway now.” Verchere recalled the 3.5 billion euros investment OMV Petrom has committed to low and zero-carbon projects this decade, including biofuels and electric mobility infrastructure, and called for scaling up best practice: “We hope that EPG is creating a rule book so that local authorities can lift and shift how to make this work if they access EU funding.”
On behalf of the European Commission, Bogdan Atanasiu (DG Energy) gave an exclusive presentation of the new guides and delegated acts accompanying the implementation of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). This is not just about the energy transition in 2050, he emphasised. It is about concrete effects in the years to come – tackling energy poverty, local economic growth and improved living conditions. Moreover, if implemented correctly, this directive can systemically transform the lives of the vulnerable. Atanasiu emphasised the importance of national databases on the energy performance of buildings, renovation passports, and the targeting of EU funds towards the most inefficient buildings.
The first panel of the conference focussed on the challenges and solutions of integrating social criteria into the renovation process. Eliza Barnea (Bankwatch Romania) drew attention to some persistent barriers: lack of title deeds, limited capacity of local authorities and lack of a solid database on buildings. Without legal documents, the most vulnerable households remain excluded, she insisted. For the transition to be fair, we need to work with people, on the ground, in the logic of communities. She also mentioned the particular importance of the national social plan for climate, currently in the pipeline, as a strategic tool for the allocation of the 6 billion euros Social Climate Fund.
Cătălin Lungu, President of OAER, called for prioritising “the renovation of the worst performing buildings” and strengthening support mechanisms for vulnerable households. Eugen Pănescu, architect and member of the board of the Architects’ Council of Europe, complemented the technical vision with a systemic one. It is not just a question of money, he said, but of will, coordination and knowledge. “[There is] poverty in the knowledge field” at the local level, which we need to correct, because we cannot talk about in-depth renovation without a coherent strategy to train and support local specialists.
A point of consensus among speakers was the need to adapt interventions to the local context, both technically and culturally. Energy efficiency, it was stressed, is not just a matter of technology, but also one of behaviour, trust and institutional capacity. As Radu Dudău emphasised: “We must correlate renovation planning with distribution networks and taxation policy… otherwise our endeavor doesn’t stand a chance.”
The energy transition in buildings is not only a climate imperative, but also a major social opportunity – provided it is tackled systemically, participatively and with a long-term vision.