Home Performance Pathway is a new certification for small home builders to deliver high quality, healthy and environmentally sustainable homes, unveiled recently by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC).
It will enable SME developers to qualify for lower cost development finance, helping to accelerate the delivery of sustainable homes across the country. The government is committed to delivering 300,000 homes by 2030 and to reducing emissions 51% by the same date.
Covers carbon emissions, water efficiency, biodiversity and waste
The new certification covers key areas of sustainability, such as carbon emissions, water efficiency, biodiversity and waste. It also covers health and comfort indicators such as indoor air quality, acoustic comfort and summer comfort.
L-R: Magdalena Hajdukiewicz, Construct Innovate; James Browne housing minister Johanna Varghese, Irish Green Building Council.
James Browne, housing minister said: “Delivering Homes Building Communities commits to a range of initiatives to support small to medium construction companies to deliver sustainable housing. I am pleased to see this collaborative approach led by the IGBC with the financial and construction sectors which will enable SME developers and builders to qualify for lower cost development finance, helping to accelerate the delivery of sustainable homes across the country. This initiative will encourage and support the development of the Small and Medium Enterprise homebuilder sector and further accelerate progress towards our target to deliver at least 300,000 homes by 2030.”
Pat Barry, Irish Green Building Council CEO, said: “The Home Performance Pathway provides an accessible route for smaller homebuilders to start integrating sustainability into their schemes. It encourages them to increase their ambition over time, with support from the IGBC. It will help SME builders to thrive in a future where all finance is dependent on proof of sustainability.”
The Home Performance Pathway is designed as an entry level to IGBC’s full sustainability certification, the Home Performance Index (HPI). HPI is a holistic sustainability and quality standard that is well established in the market for larger housing developments in Ireland, with over 3,500 dwellings certified in 2025.
The Home Performance Pathway will enable SME construction companies to access green development finance through a simplified certification pathway. SMEs are responsible for over 80% of turnover in Ireland’s construction sector, and a significant portion of housing delivery.
John Delahunty, AIB Real Estate Finance, said: "AIB is dedicated to supporting the development of sustainable, energy-efficient homes throughout Ireland. The introduction of the Home Performance Pathway is a significant milestone, enabling smaller developers and builders to access affordable green finance while elevating the overall standard of housing delivery.
Expanding access to high quality, climate-resilient homes
"This initiative provides a clearer, achievable path to sustainable construction, accelerating the shift to a low-carbon built environment while improving sector capability and expanding access to high quality, climate-resilient homes across Ireland in support of national sustainability goals.”
Brian Gaffney, head of residential and development finance at Bank of Ireland, commented: “Bank of Ireland welcomes the introduction of the Home Performance Pathway, and the leadership shown by the Irish Green Building Council in making sustainable construction more accessible for SME builders. Initiatives like this play an important role in helping house builders of all sizes integrate sustainability into their developments, and we are pleased to support efforts that strengthen communities and encourage the building of high‑quality, energy‑efficient homes across the country.”
David Casey, Home Building Finance Ireland, said: “HBFI welcomes the launch of the IGBC’s Home Performance Pathway noting that it encourages SME and small homebuilders to put sustainability at the heart of their developments, while delivering much needed higher quality homes to their customers.”