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PRESS RELEASE – CANETE SAYS PARIS OBJECTIVES COULD BE THREATENED BY EFFICIENCY ‘FLEXIBILITIES’


11 October 2017

The EU’s Energy and Climate Commissioner has said that “flexibilities” in the European Parliament’s revised energy efficiency laws could threaten the roll-out of building renovations, which will be key to delivering the EU’s Paris commitments.

Speaking at Renovate Europe Day 2017 in the European Parliament, Miguel Arias Canete said that today’s vote on the revised European Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was “essential” for Member States. But “the [European Council’s] level of ambition falls considerably short of the European Commission on a number of points”.

He continued “Buildings will unquestionably play a major role in delivering on our Paris commitments, and ultimately achieving a carbon neutral economy [but] we will not achieve our objectives without renovating our building stock.”

The vote in Parliament’s Industry Committee could allow houses powered by solar panels or wind turbines to be classified as more energy efficient than others, even if they are unrenovated, badly insulated, and leak heat.  That would defeat the whole purpose of the renovations directive though, according to energy efficiency experts.

MEP Bendt Bendtsen, Rapporteur on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, said “We all agree that boosting renovations is the main ambition with the revision. To achieve this, we agree “ across the political board in Parliament“ that Member States must prove they will deliver on their responsibilities.  Bendtsen added “We find this a reasonable expectation to have of Member States, if they are serious about enabling renovations and thereby assisting a better performing building stock to emerge”.

After today’s vote, two trilogues between the Parliament, Council and Commission have been scheduled to negotiate the final revised directive on November 7 and December 5.

Where the energy efficiency directive is concerned, loopholes in the annual 1.5% energy savings requirement would directly affect the EU’s ability to deliver on its climate promises, according to Canete, the EU’s lead representative at next month’s COP23 climate summit in Bonn.

The obligation was “a core provision, as we achieve half of the directive’s savings this way,” Canete said. “This is the engine behind the much needed increase in building renovation.”

But the flexibility that Member States have insisted on means that this energy savings figure will be half in practice. Here again, we need the European Parliament to maintain the level of ambition, not just in terms of climate numbers but also in terms of the flexibility provided.”

EU Commissioner Canete - Keynote Speech at REDay2017


DOWNLOAD COMMISSIONER CANETE’S SPEECH

REDAY2017 - MORNING CONFERENCE


Conference Agenda and Presentation


Introduction
Adrian Joyce – Director of the Renovate Europe Campaign (watch video)

Welcoming Remarks
Karlis Goldstein, Energy Councillor in the Estonian EU Presidency (watch video)

Introductory Comments
MEP Bendt Bendtsen (EPP, Denmark), Rapporteur on the EPBD (watch video)

Keynote: Energy Renovation improves Quality of Life and Wellbeing for EU Citizens (watch video)
Miguel Arias Canete, EU Commissioner Climate Action & Energy

Moderator: Fiona Riddoch, Energy and Policy Consultant

Tackling Fuel Poverty through Healthy Buildings
Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (S&D, Finland), Shadow Rapporteur on the EPBD (watch video)

The Multiple Benefits of Energy Renovation
Morten Petersen (ALDE, Denmark), Shadow Rapporteur on the EPBD
The societal and economic benefits of more ambitious legislation for energy renovation

Phil Summerton, Managing Director of Cambridge Econometrics (watch video)
Response to Questions from Audience and Twitter

Moderator: Fiona Riddoch, Energy and Policy Consultant

Energy Renovation Tools to encourage Citizens to act
Dario Tamburrano (EFDD, Italy), Shadow Rapporteur on the EPBD (watch video)

The role of cities and local action to boost energy renovation
Florent Marcellesi (Greens/EFA, Spain), Shadow Rapporteur on the EPBD (watch video)

Making an Offer that can’t be refused
Peter Rathje, REFURB Compelling Offer Coordinator (watch video)

Response to Questions from Audience and Twitter

What opportunities from version 2.0 of the Renovation Strategies?
Oliver Rapf, Executive Director of the BPIE (watch video)

Conclusions: What Building Stock by 2050?
Adrian Joyce, Director of the Renovate Europe Campaign

Photos from the Morning Conference


NETWORKING LUNCH & AWARD CEREMONY


During the networking lunch in the 3rd floor ASP Bar in the European Parliament, MEP Maria Grapini (S&D, Romania) was awarded the trophy and golden helmet for being the 100th MEP to sign the Renovate Europe Manifesto to STOP Energy Waste in Buildings.

Various photo opportunities were also available during the networking lunch:


REDAY2017 - AFTERNOON SITE VISITS


On the afternoon of REDay2017, site visits to two renovation projects in Brussels were organised, in partnership with Bruxelles Environnement.

Visit of Be.exemplary Building “VUB Swimming Pool”

High energy performance retrofitting of the swimming pool of the Vrije Universiteit Brussels with specific attention to sustainability and circular economy. More information  here

Visit of Exemplary Building Linné

Passive renovation of a residential tower and an annex building to create 50 public housing units, and construction of a crèche for 36 children and a public park between the two buildings. More information  here


REDAY2017 HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO



REDAY2017 NATIONAL EVENTS


Renovate Europe has National Partners in 14 Member States.  2 of these National Partners are organizing REDay2017 National Events:

BELGIUM

CROATIA

REDAY2017 ASSOCIATED EVENTS


The REFURB Conference on 10th October 2017 in Brussels is an associated event of REDay2017

BELGIUM


REDAY2017 POSTERS IN BRUSSELS METRO



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