Private Financing for Energy Renovation - Event
2025 a Key Year for Europe
“Synchronising EU policies and innovative energy efficiency finance is a unique opportunity for Europe to materialise its climate goals and to tackle energy poverty.”
Schuman roundabout 6, 1040 Brussels, Belgium / hybrid event
May 19th 2025, 10:00 – 12:00 (CET)
2025 is a key year for Europe to decarbonise its buildings in order to become energy independent, meet its decarbonisation objectives and to tackle energy poverty. On May 20th, the EC will relaunch the Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition (EEFC), tasked with supporting Member States to implement them at a national level, and is developing an Affordable Housing Plan. These will provide a new framework for financial institutions and investors to deploy capital alongside a transition to net-zero for real estate and buildings in Europe.
In this event, the Renovate Europe Campaign, the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), and Climate Strategy (CS) will discuss the current state of play of energy efficiency finance for real estate in light of the latest EU regulatory developments, and the findings of the latest CS report on how to fill the EU climate investment gap more efficiently.
There is momentum to synchronise the EU policies with innovative private energy efficiency finance to materialise its climate goals and to tackle energy poverty.
This event will bring together EU policy makers and financing and building stakeholders to address how private financing can boost energy renovation and how to facilitate the financing of the just decarbonisation of European buildings!
EVENT AGENDA:
9:30 – 10:00 | Registration and coffee |
10:00 – 10:05 | Welcome and introduction |
Rémi Collombet, Renovate Europe Campaign | |
10:05 – 10:45 | Panel 1 – EU Directives, intersecting indicators for real estate assets, and the response of financial institutions |
Dominic Keyzer, Senior Consultant, Global Sustainability, ING
Murray Birt, Senior ESG Strategist, DWS Laurent Lavergne, Global Head of Sustainability, AXA Moderated by: Marion Santini, Team Lead at The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) |
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10:45 – 10:55 | Q&A |
10:55 – 11:05 | Keynote – “Offering the EU Renovation Loan (ERL) as a service for Member States” |
Peter Sweatman, CEO, Climate Strategy & Partners | |
11:05 – 11:45 | Panel 2 – The European Affordable Housing Plan and the enabling role of financial institutions |
Ralf Goldmann, Head of Division, Energy Efficiency & Energy Advisory, EIB
Zofia Wetmańska, Co-founder of the Reform Insitute and Taxonomy Manager at the Climate Bonds Initiative Stella Kaltsouni, Member of Commissioner Jorgensen Cabinet Ines Scacchi, Head of Regulatory Affairs, the European Savings and Retail Banking Group Moderated by: Adrian Hiel, Head of Campaigns and Media, Energy Cities |
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11:45 – 11:55 | Q&A |
11:55 – 12:00 | Final words and summary |
Hugh Garnett, Senior Specialist — Real Assets, IIGCC |
A New Era for the European Renovation Wave: Sharing Perspectives

We are excited to join C40 Cities, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), and the Covenant of Mayors Europe in organising this event, A New Era for the European Renovation Wave: Sharing Perspectives, on the 20th of March in Brussels.
Building renovations are key to improving energy efficiency and energy security, lowering energy bills, creating local green jobs, and improving quality of life. Cities play a key role in delivering the benefits of fossil-free and energy-efficient buildings.
Ahead of the European elections, this event will bring together mayors, deputy mayors, business associations, EU policy makers and key stakeholders to take stock of the progress so far and discuss challenges and opportunities for the future regarding building renovations, following also the update of the European climate and energy legislation.
Agenda
13.30 – 14.00 Registration and coffee
14.00 – 14.10 Welcoming remarks
Benjamin Jance, Head of Research and Innovation at Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)
14.10 – 14.25 Opening remarks by a keynote speaker
Brian Motherway, Head of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Inclusive Transitions, IEA (online)
14.25 – 15.20 What comes next for building renovations in Europe and the role of the cities
Moderator: Marnie McGregor, GCoM
- Nina Neumann, Team leader, Legislative Development and Enforcement, DG ENER, European Commission
- Peter Dermol, Mayor of Velenje, Slovenia
- Ralf Goldmann, Head of Division, Energy Efficiency and Energy Advisory, European Investment Bank
15.20 – 15.45 COFFEE BREAK
15.45 – 16.45 Enhancing cooperation between cities and stakeholders to boost local action on buildings
Moderator: Oliver Rapf, Executive Director, Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE)
- Andrea Tobia Zevi, Deputy Mayor of Rome for Heritage and Housing, Italy
- Britt Berghs, project coordinator ‘Linkeroever (Left Bank)’ Climate Neutral 2030 for the city of Antwerp, Belgium
- Julien Dijol, Director of Policy, Housing Europe
- Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO Solar Power Europe
- David Ducarme, COO and Deputy CEO Knauf Insulation, Partner of the Renovate Europe Campaign
16.45 – 17.00 Concluding remarks
Adrian Joyce, Renovate Europe Campaign
17.00 Cocktail reception