Some targets are more equal than others
The European Union has binding targets for carbon dioxide reductions and renewable energy. Why does energy efficiency not have the same status? The European Union has three energy-related targets for 2020. Each is based upon an emblematic 20 per cent. According to Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, these are: to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent; to boost the proportion of renewable energy to 20 per cent; and to improve energy efficiency by 20 per cent. DOWNLOAD
CEOs Slam Lack of Political Will on Energy Efficiency as Part of New ‘Renovate Europe’ Campaign
Industry leaders of some of Europe’s leading companies and organisations published last week an open letter to EU Member State energy ministers urging them to refocus Europe’s energy policy on promoting the energy efficiency of buildings. Europe’s energy ministers meet today in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss Europe’s energy strategy to 2050. The letter, which is being published in Le Monde (FR), Financial Times (UK), Berlinske (DK), Handelsblatt (DE), and the European Voice (EU) warns that any effective European energy policy should give reducing energy demand as much political weight as…
RENOVATE EUROPE Campaign slams the EU Council on consistent attempts to water-down critical energy efficiency measure
Industry leaders of some of Europe's leading companies and organizations today criticised the EU Council over repeated attempts to water-down effective energy efficiency measures. The criticism comes as the EU Council's energy working party gathers to discuss the draft Council conclusions on the "Energy Efficiency Plan 2011". The conclusions document published last week showed some heavy back-pedalling from Member States on key energy efficiency measures, especially regarding a requirement for public authorities to refurbish at least 3% of their buildings each year. The draft Council…
Making Money Work For Buildings
Well-designed financial and fiscal programmes for energy efficiency improvement projects in buildings have a cost-effectiveness to governments of around €20-25/tonne of carbon emissions mitigated, which is lower than virtually all alternative non-traded carbon abatement measures. That is the conclusion of this research report from EuroACE which looked at over 100 instruments currently in place across the EU representing tens of billions of Euros of investment in energy efficiency. DOWNLOAD
Open Letter to European Heads of State on the Occasion of the June European Council’s Discussion on EU 2020 Strategy
Brussels, 18 June 2010 EU Energy Saving Target Key to Achieving the New Europe 2020 Objectives As representatives of a range of business and professional associations and civil society interests, we are firmly convinced of the multi-faceted benefits of energy saving and consider that the EU must urgently step up its action in this regard. We regret that the European Council did not pay more attention to energy saving this week, as it gathered in Brussels to endorse the Europe 2020 strategy for steering the EU toward a smart, sustainable and inclusive economic future. Improving energy…
Working Paper Financial and Fiscal Instruments for Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Learn more about the existing financial and fiscal incentive programmes for sustainable energy in buildings in the different EU Member States in this Working Paper. The survey reflects the wide-range of measures that can be deployed to incentivise energy efficiency investment in buildings, as well as the great potential for information exchange and sharing of best practice within the EU. DOWNLOAD (APPLICATION/PDF)