Financing Energy Efficiency

On 25 September 2024, the event “Financing Energy Efficiency” brought together experts from EU institutions, civil society, and the private sector to discuss about financing energy efficiency (EE) improvements across Europe. As the EU prepares for the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in 2025, the conversation centered around how to mobilize sufficient resources, improve the implementation of existing funds, and engage private investors to meet the EU’s energy transition goals.

Moderated by: Monica Frassoni, President, EUASE

Speakers:
Olivier Vardakoulias –
Finance and Subsidies Policy coordinator, CAN Europe
Robert Nuij –
Deputy Head of Unit for energy efficiency policy and financing, DG ENER
Myriam Bovéda-
Team Leader for Sustainable Growth, DG REGIO

The event provided an interesting yet non-exhaustive overview of the challenges and opportunities in financing energy efficiency within the EU. As the MFF revision approaches, stakeholders must work together to ensure that public and private resources are aligned with the EU’s energy efficiency goals.

Key recommendations include:

  • Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies within national energy efficiency programs.
  • Expanding the One-Stop Shop model to provide more accessible technical and financial support across Member
    States.
  • Introducing new financial instruments to support energy-poor households and low-income homeowners.
  • Increasing consumer awareness and providing measurement of real performance of energy efficiency improvements
    and its benefits to drive demand for green mortgages and zero-interest loans.
  • Continuing to mobilize the private sector to ensure that energy efficiency projects are fully funded and successfully
    implemented.

 Read the full event report here.

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Mission efficiency : Games are opening, let’s perform, now !

Writing this note on my way back from the first European Parliament plenary session, I can’t help but draw a parallel with the 2024 Olympics game opening soon in Paris.

I always thought of our Energy Efficiency game as a marathon, including trainings and a solid “never-give-up” mindset, whatever the political winds. We first succeeded in the initiatory 2012 EED negotiations and we made it in the 2030 climate & energy package. Things then got more serious and we managed to take our medals from the Fit for 55 real marathon. We even secured that everyone would start exercising with mainstreaming our Energy Efficiency First principle into the broader policy spectrum.

So, what are we up to at the start of the 2024-29 mandate ?  

First, time to perform! And our performance – called implementation in the EU jargon – is about delivering more savings and valorising the genuine value of energy efficiency. It is not just about running and being resilient, efficiency will help with changing cycling gears in the energy transition towards 2040, and be faster at integrating renewables in the grid. It is empowering our industry to swim better in the global competitiveness race. In fact, energy efficiency looks more like a triathlon game.

Second, our Efficiency Club should get bigger, as everyone trying it gets a more stable future, a healthier home and an extra protection against energy price volatility. In this perspective, efficiency is key to solve housing issues and secure low bills in the long run. But as many good things, its benefits have been kept secret for too long. So let’s get more affiliates in the club – not only the geeky ones – and a bigger crowd celebrating successes.

Last but not least, we need sponsors. Continuity and diversity will be key here, as we certainly need continuous public funding e.g. from the EU recovery, cohesion, ETS and modernisation funding streams, but crucially also a more diverse set of private sponsors. If you or any of your friends happen to be interested in good investments, come and talk to me at the end of the Olympics !

 

Céline Carré
Head of Public Affairs
Saint-Gobain

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Europe powered by skills and workforce development

Stakeholders Call on EU Policymakers to Prioritize Skills and Workforce Development in the Next EU Institutional Term

The European Alliance to Save Energy and a diverse group of stakeholders have signed an open letter urging EU and national policymakers to place skills and workforce development at the forefront of their agenda for the new EU institutional term. This call to action emphasizes the critical role of a skilled and adaptable workforce in enabling Europe’s transition toward a sustainable, energy-efficient, and digitalized economy.

The letter highlights the pressing need to address systemic skills gaps and labour shortages, which threaten to hinder Europe’s ability to meet its ambitious energy and climate goals. It states:

“Policymakers must address systemic skills and labour shortages as a top priority for Europe’s transformation, so that the labour market is an enabler rather than an obstacle to realize the objectives set in Europe for the past five years.”

This requires not only implementing existing provisions but also taking a forward-looking approach to education, training, and labour market reform.

Read the full letter here.

 

 

 

 

 

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Confirm the Green Deal as a Priority in the next EU Mandate

EU-ASE and Over 400 Organizations Urge EU Leaders to Uphold the Green Deal as a Strategic Priority

The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE), in collaboration with more than 400 cross-sector organizations, has issued a strong call to EU leaders: reaffirm the European Green Deal as a cornerstone of the next EU mandate. This collective appeal underscores the critical importance of the Green Deal in shaping a competitive, secure, and energy-efficient future for Europe.

The joint statement, signed by organizations representing diverse economic sectors, highlights the Green Deal as the foundation for driving Europe’s economic prosperity and global leadership in sustainability. It emphasizes that advancing the Green Deal will provide much-needed clarity and stability for businesses and citizens alike, fostering an environment of innovation, resilience, and inclusivity.

Read here the full statement.

 

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Civil Society, businesses, cities, and regions urge EU leaders to prioritise a socially fair and green climate transition in the Strategic Agenda

The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) Calls for a Socially Fair and Green Climate Transition in the EU Strategic Agenda

EU-ASE, in collaboration with a diverse coalition of civil society organizations, businesses, cities, and regional authorities, has taken a  step toward advocating for a socially fair and sustainable future. Together, we have signed an open letter addressed to EU leaders, urging them to prioritize a socially just and green climate transition in the upcoming Strategic Agenda.

This letter lays out a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at ensuring the well-being of all Europeans while advancing the EU’s economic competitiveness, energy security, and global leadership. It underscores the urgent need to make energy efficiency and the phase-out of fossil fuels central pillars of the EU’s strategy to achieve net-zero emissions.

Key proposals in the letter include:

  • Accelerating the implementation of energy efficiency measures across all sectors.
  • Prioritizing investments in clean and renewable energy technologies.
  • Ensuring a socially fair transition that leaves no one behind, with targeted support for vulnerable communities and regions.
  • Strengthening the EU’s leadership role in international climate action, setting an example for other nations to follow.

As the EU prepares to shape its Strategic Agenda, this letter serves as a critical reminder of the importance of aligning policy decisions with the pressing needs of the climate crisis and societal well-being. We call on EU leaders to act boldly and decisively, making energy efficiency and sustainability the foundation of Europe’s future.

Read the full letter and explore its recommendations here

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