Assessing architects' and engineers' readiness levels for achieving the EU's building carbon neutrality targets

Abstract

My research aims to assess the readiness of Maltese architects and engineers to implement the European Union’s carbon-neutral building targets and Malta’s updated Energy Performance Requirements for Buildings. I justify my research by a growing concern that policy ambition in the built environment outpaces the professional and institutional capacity required for its effective delivery. Using a qualitative research design, I triangulate a thematic analysis of Malta’s Energy Performance Requirements with ten semi-structured interviews, which achieved thematic saturation by the tenth participant. My findings show that readiness is constrained by multiple systemic barriers. Key issues include fragmented collaboration between design professionals, inadequate continuous professional development and inconsistent awareness of emerging compliance tools, such as Building Passports. Interviewees described the Energy Performance Certificate as symbolic, citing enforcement failures and procedural compliance. Technical and spatial challenges, particularly in dense urban areas, limit the feasibility of passive and Mechanical energy solutions. Market conservatism, high upfront costs, and misaligned incentives further suppress adoption, especially in shared-ownership contexts. Despite these challenges, my study identifies pockets of ethical commitment and early signs of demand-led progress. To move from partial readiness to full alignment with EU targets, findings were synthesized using different frameworks that enabled a multidimensional diagnosis of systemic and professional barriers. I conclude with actionable recommendations to Malta’s building context. They strengthen enforcement, reform professional development systems, incentivize collaboration and adapt financial schemes. These insights support more effective policy-practice convergence and provide a strategic foundation to advance the decarbonization of Malta’s construction sector.