Build a solid case to illustrate that existing policy could be more effective and push for an ambitious Energy Union Increasing political commitment to #EfficiencyFirst Increased visibility of the EU ASE “brand”.
We are writing to express our encouragement at the increased recognition that energy efficiency is being given in current discussion regarding the Energy Union. It is our hope that as those discussions advance toward revision of existing EU legislation in 2016, they will be guided by the principle of “Efficiency First”, so that the final legislation contains concrete provisions, which promote energy efficiency as a fundamental lynchpin to success of the Energy Union.
These are the principles to ensure that energy efficiency investments -are systematically and fairly assessed when energy policy is developed, are given priority when they are more cost-effective than equivalent investments in energy supply and also can compete on equal terms with investments in energy supply.
We are convinced that the decisions the EU will take in the next months over the priorities of its energy policy will be crucial to improve Europe’s competitiveness and the well-being of its citizens. We are therefore pleased that the European Parliament is taking the issue of Energy security very seriously and that a significant discussion is taking place around your important report. In this context, we respectfully wish to express our views concerning the role that energy efficiency should play in such a discussion.
The traditional focus on energy savings as the main goal of energy efficiency policy has, at times, led to an underestimation of the full value of energy efficiency in both national and global economies. Energy efficiency can bring multiple benefits, such as enhancing the sustainability of the energy system, supporting strategic objectives for economic and social development, promoting environmental goals and increasing prosperity.
The aim of this book is two-fold: to build knowledge of the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, and to demonstrate how policy makers and other stakeholders can use existing tools to measure and maximise the benefits they seek. Five key benefits areas – macroeconomic development; public budgets; health and wellbeing; industrial productivity; and energy delivery – are investigated in-depth, showing compelling returns when the value of multiple benefits is calculated alongside traditional benefits of energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Considering multiple benefits also has important implications for unravelling one of the persistent challenges in energy efficiency – the rebound effect – revealing that it often signals a positive outcome in terms of achieving broader social and economic goals.
By identifying and quantifying a broader range of impacts of energy efficiency, the multiple benefits approach repositions energy efficiency as a mainstream tool for economic and social development, and has the potential to motivate higher uptake of energy efficiency opportunities in the market.