Positioning Passivhaus in policy in 2026

The Trust is eagerly anticipating upcoming UK policy developments in 2026, which are relevant to Passivhaus and expected to shape energy standards, and building quality. While the full details are yet to be released, the Trust will be ready to respond as soon as announcements are made, and we'll keep you informed every step of the way.

Scottish Passivhaus Equivalent

In 2023, the Scottish Government announced plans to “make subordinate legislation within two years to introduce new minimum environmental design standards for all new build housing to meet a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard”.

The exact details the Scottish equivalent to Passivhaus policy are still being finalised and the Passivhaus Trust is optimistic that many of its key recommendations will have been adopted. The Passivhaus Trust has been involved in a cross-industry working group to support Scottish Building Standards to develop the policy. A second consultation on the policy is due to go live in late December 2025/ early January 2026.

The Passivhaus Trust will be sharing its response to the consultation and encouraging its members to respond to the consultation in late January 2026.

Future Homes Standard

The UK Government is due to unveil its Future Homes Standard for newbuild housing in early 2026. The Passivhaus Trust has stated previously that the FHS proposals do not go far enough and that there should be recognition for an enhanced fabric standard. A PHT position paper publish in March 2025 compares Passivhaus with the proposed FHS 2025. Watch out for Passivhaus Trust commentary on the policy once it is announced.

Welsh Building Regulations

The Welsh Government recently undertook a consultation on Building Regulations (Part L) which aims to improve the energy efficiency requirements for new and existing dwellings and non-domestic buildings. The consultation included two options, with Option 2 proposes an air permeability of 1.5 m³/hr.m² and ventilation provided by MVHR. The Passivhaus Trust and AECB believe that Option 2 is a more ambitious and credible step towards Net Zero.and aligns more closely with the building performance achieved by certified Passivhaus and AECB CarbonLite projects. The consultation findings and outcomes are likely to be published in 2026.