On 27 February 2026, REHVA participated in a stakeholder consultation organised by the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) of the European Commission in Brussels.
The meeting, entitled “Efficient buildings and renovation: Supporting vulnerable communities through the Social Climate Fund and ETS2”, gathered selected stakeholders to discuss the implementation of the Social Climate Fund (SCF) and the use of ETS2 revenues in the context of the housing crisis and buildings decarbonisation.
REHVA was represented by Francesco Robimarga, Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer. During the exchange, Francesco highlighted several structural aspects of the implementation of the Social Climate Fund and ETS2, drawing on the discussions and technical analyses presented at the REHVA Brussels Summit 2025 - organised in partnership with Section TEN of the European Economic and Social Committee - in particular the session entitled “Addressing Building Affordability in the Ongoing EU Legislature”, and the presentation:“Building Affordability, Social Objectives and Sustainable Buildings: Efficiency of Subsidy Schemes – The Example of the Social Climate Fund.”
The presentation outlined the interaction between ETS2 and the Social Climate Fund, recalling that ETS2 will increase energy bills while SCF resources aim to mitigate impacts on vulnerable households through both temporary income support and renovation measures. Using the Slovak case as an example, it illustrated the projected rise in energy vulnerability, the scale of renovation needs, the long payback periods involved, and the importance of adopting holistic, performance-based approaches rather than purely product-based subsidy schemes. The need for reliable calculation methods and proper monitoring of results was also emphasised.
The discussion highlighted a fundamental challenge: the impact of ETS2 on energy prices will be felt immediately, while the structural benefits of renovation measures financed under the SCF will materialise over time. Managing this temporal imbalance is crucial to ensure social acceptance and protect vulnerable households.
In this context, particular attention was given to ensuring that publicly funded renovation measures deliver real, measurable and lasting reductions in energy bills. As the SCF is designed as a performance-based instrument, credibility will depend on whether predicted improvements translate into verified outcomes.
The quality and reliability of renovation actions, the criteria used for allocating funding, and the availability of skilled professionals remain central to achieving effective and socially fair implementation across Member States.
REHVA looks forward to continuing its constructive cooperation with the Directorate-General for Climate Action and the European Commission to support a socially fair, technically robust and performance-driven implementation of the Social Climate Fund and ETS2 across Europe