Letter to the European & Environment Councils: 70 companies and business organizations from energy efficiency and renewable sectors call Member States to recognize their cost-effective contribution to decarbonization

The European Union (EU) played a key role in making the Paris Agreement a cornerstone of global commitment to tackle the negative impact that climate change could have on our economies and societies. The EU must now reflect in a coherent way such an ambitious and binding international agreement in the Energy Union legislative framework for 2030. The cost-effective contribution that both energy efficiency and renewable energy can provide to the European transition towards a low-carbon economy must be fully embedded in the EU climate and energy policies.

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EU-ASE response to the public consultation on the “Revision of Directive 2012/27 EU on Energy Efficiency”

Article 1 provides the general framework for the promotion of energy efficiency within the Union in order to ensure the achievement of the EU 20% energy efficiency headline target by 2020. In addition and more specifically, Article 3 requires that each Member State sets an indicative national energy efficiency target based on either primary or final energy consumption, primary or final energy savings or energy intensity. In setting the targets, Member States should take into account a number of provisions set out in Article 3(1).

 

As regards the EU energy efficiency target for 2030, the European Council agreed in October 2014 on an indicative target at the EU level of at least 27% (compared to projections) to be reviewed by 2020 having in mind an EU level of 30%. Therefore, the existing policy framework should be updated to reflect the new EU energy efficiency target for 2030 and to align it with the overall 2030 Climate and Energy framework.

 

 

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Letter to MEPs: Business community calls for a 40% energy efficiency target in the Energy Union report

On behalf of the European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) and the energy efficiency business community, we are writing to express our full support for the creation of the Energy Union and to encourage EU institutions to place energy efficiency firmly at the forefront of its development and operation.

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Vogliamo un’Italia più efficiente

14 imprese ed associazioni europee chiedono al Governo italiano più efficienza

Ben 14 imprese ed associazioni europee chiedono al Governo italiano di sostenere una robusta governance europea per l’energia al 2030, che punti sull’efficienza energetica. L’iniziativa prende il nome di Euase, European Alliance to Save energy, e ne fanno parte 1E, Kingspan, Knauf Insulation, Opower, Philips, Schneider Electric, Siemens, E3G, European Climate Foundation con le italiane Kyoto Club, Assorinnovabili, Anev e Coordinamento Free.

Le associazioni, in particolare, si riferiscono al pericolo che il Governo italiano non voglia vincoli sul raggiungimento degli obiettivi in materia di efficienza energetica.

‘Dei tre obiettivi europei al 2030, il 27% di riduzione dei consumi energetici è quello senz’altro più debole. Si tratta invece di un’area nella quale è possibile conseguire risultati ben più ambiziosi, dell’ordine del 40% con un vantaggio per l’economia del Continente. L’Italia in particolare ha enormi margini di intervento nel settore dell’edilizia, visto che la metà del parco presenta consumi oltre tre volte superiori a quelli di un nuovo edificio’, dichiara Gianni Silvestrini presidente di Free.

In Italia già oggi sono 372.000 le aziende che negli ultimi sette anni hanno investito in tecnologie green per ridurre l’impatto ambientale, risparmiare energia e contenere le emissioni di CO2. Per il 2016, stando ai primi dati, sono 120 mila le imprese che hanno investito nel green, il 36% in più rispetto al 2014.

 

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MEPs fail to boost EU renewables, efficiency targets before COP21

The European Parliament’s energy committee today (10 November) rejected a push by MEPs to increase the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets and to make them legally binding.

MEPs today called for three binding 2030 targets of at least 40% greenhouse gas emissions, at least 30% for renewables, and at least 40% for energy efficiency.

But the ITRE Committee did approve strong language demanding a role for the Parliament in the oversight of the Energy Union, the EU’s strategy to reduce the bloc’s vulnerability to shortages, and to bolster the fight against climate change.

 

MEPs from the Greens, Liberals, Europe of Freedom and Democracy group and Socialist and Democrats failed to get changes to the committee’s report on Energy Union.

The amendment – defeated by a single vote, according to Green MEP Claude Turmes – aimed to strengthen commitments made by EU leaders last October.

Leaders agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. That is a binding target. But heads of state and government watered down the 2030 targets for renewables and for energy efficiency, which are not binding at national level.

They lowered a Commission-proposed 30% increase to at least 27%. That was seen as a backwards step after the binding 20% 2020 targets for efficiency and renewables agreed in the past.

MEPs today called for three binding 2030 targets of at least 40% greenhouse gas emissions, at least 30% for renewables, and at least 40% for energy efficiency.

The amendment was rejected 31 votes to 30, after opposition from the majority European People’s Party and the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.

Turmes blamed the Socialists for the defeat. Some had voted against the amendment, while others had not turned up to the committee meeting at all, he told EurActiv.

But the Luxembourgish MEP was bullish that the amendment would be passed in a plenary vote of the Parliament in December.

Turmes said that energy efficiency, particularly through building renovation, was the best way to fight climate change.

“If you don’t want to be ambitious about energy efficiency, what is the answer to getting climate change at the lowest cost, while promoting productivity?,” he asked.

Later this month, world leaders will meet in Paris for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris to try and agree an international deal to cap global warming. Depending on the results of the COP21, the European Commission and Council could revise the 2030 targets.

Today’s ITRE vote clashes with a Europe Parliament resolution, recently backed by MEPs, with COP21 in mind. It reiterated support for an earlier February 2014 Parliament resolution that backed stronger 2030 targets.

Monica Frassoni, the president of the European Alliance to Save Energy said, “How can the European Parliament be serious on the energy transition with such a scenario few days before COP21? The progressive business community calls for MEPs to reconfirm their ambitious position to guarantee investments in Europe and create local jobs.”

Lack of targets

The lack of binding renewables and efficiency targets at national level means that the Energy Union will need a governance framework to ensure the goals are met at EU level.

MEPs across the political groups supported the report’s call for the new governance framework to be “fully inclusive of the European Parliament.”

Turmes said the vote sent a message to the Commission’s Energy Union supremo Maroš Šefčovič before his expected announcement of the State of the Energy Union report next week. The report will sketch out the next step towards implementing the flagship strategy.

“This is very strong wording,” said Turmes, “It’s a message to Šefčovič  – don’t dare next week to try and side-line the Parliament.”

James Crisp

This article first appeared on Euractiv

Euractiv is an edie content partner

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