After the dispute over the regulations for the replacement of heating systems, the governing coalition is now also struggling over the planned tightening of new building standards. The Greens insist on the agreed introduction of the strict “Efficiency House 40” (EH40) standard in 2025.
The FDP rejects this, the SPD has concerns. “The tightening would be a deathblow for the German construction industry,” warned Daniel Föst, spokesman for construction policy for the FDP parliamentary group in the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
The housing policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Bernhard Daldrup, told the newspaper that since the coalition agreement was signed, the starting point for housing construction has changed due to skyrocketing prices. “Ever higher standards and thus ever higher costs inevitably lead to a decline” in construction activity. But the government cannot afford that.
The Greens, on the other hand, called for sticking to the coalition agreement. “It is irresponsible for our children and grandchildren if buildings are erected that do not have the highest standards of efficiency,” said the Greens’ construction policy spokeswoman, Christina-Johanne Schröder. “Therefore, we naturally assume that the EH-40 standard for new buildings will come. Otherwise, it would be a great waste of resources to have to refurbish properties with a worse standard by 2045,” she added.
The construction prices have exploded due to more expensive land and materials, a shortage of craftsmen and sharply increased interest rates. “It’s a myth that climate standards are the reason for price increases,” said Schröder.
