Integrating health and indoor air quality into European building policy: A landmark policy shift

Georgia K. Lagoudas; Skandan Ananthasekar; Porter Culp; Pawel Wargocki

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114508

Integrating health and indoor air quality into European building policy: A landmark policy shift

Georgia K. Lagoudas^*
, Skandan Ananthasekar
, Porter Culp
, Pawel Wargocki

^*Corresponding author for this work

Brown University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review › peer-review

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Abstract

Poor indoor air quality is a common and preventable public health risk that contributes to chronic disease, infectious disease transmission, and economic losses. Europe's updated Energy Performance of Buildings Directive integrates indoor environmental quality into building policy for the first time, representing a major opportunity for Europe to protect the health of building occupants and set an example for the world. With a May 2026 deadline approaching, EU Member States should adopt a health-based framework for indoor air quality and aim to harmonize standards across Europe.

Original language	English
Article number	114508
Journal	Building and Environment
Volume	296
Number of pages	5
ISSN	0360-1323
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114508
Publication status	Published - 2026

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Indoor air quality
Indoor environmental quality
Indoor air monitoring
Energy building policy
Public health
Health policy

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title = "Integrating health and indoor air quality into European building policy: A landmark policy shift",

abstract = "Poor indoor air quality is a common and preventable public health risk that contributes to chronic disease, infectious disease transmission, and economic losses. Europe's updated Energy Performance of Buildings Directive integrates indoor environmental quality into building policy for the first time, representing a major opportunity for Europe to protect the health of building occupants and set an example for the world. With a May 2026 deadline approaching, EU Member States should adopt a health-based framework for indoor air quality and aim to harmonize standards across Europe.",

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author = "Lagoudas, \{Georgia K.\} and Skandan Ananthasekar and Porter Culp and Pawel Wargocki",

year = "2026",

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language = "English",

volume = "296",

journal = "Building and Environment",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Integrating health and indoor air quality into European building policy

T2 - A landmark policy shift

AU - Lagoudas, Georgia K.

AU - Ananthasekar, Skandan

AU - Culp, Porter

AU - Wargocki, Pawel

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - Poor indoor air quality is a common and preventable public health risk that contributes to chronic disease, infectious disease transmission, and economic losses. Europe's updated Energy Performance of Buildings Directive integrates indoor environmental quality into building policy for the first time, representing a major opportunity for Europe to protect the health of building occupants and set an example for the world. With a May 2026 deadline approaching, EU Member States should adopt a health-based framework for indoor air quality and aim to harmonize standards across Europe.

AB - Poor indoor air quality is a common and preventable public health risk that contributes to chronic disease, infectious disease transmission, and economic losses. Europe's updated Energy Performance of Buildings Directive integrates indoor environmental quality into building policy for the first time, representing a major opportunity for Europe to protect the health of building occupants and set an example for the world. With a May 2026 deadline approaching, EU Member States should adopt a health-based framework for indoor air quality and aim to harmonize standards across Europe.

KW - Indoor air quality

KW - Indoor environmental quality

KW - Indoor air monitoring

KW - Energy building policy

KW - Public health

KW - Health policy

U2 - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114508

DO - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114508

M3 - Review

SN - 0360-1323

VL - 296

JO - Building and Environment

JF - Building and Environment

M1 - 114508

ER -

Integrating health and indoor air quality into European building policy: A landmark policy shift

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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