EED recast: Binding energy efficiency target fills a gap in the Union’s climate toolbox, but too much flexibility is given to Member States

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Media contact:
Luigi Petito 
Head of Secretariat 
info@euase.eu 

Matteo Guidi
Policy Advisor
matteo.guidi@euase.eu
+32 493372142

About us
The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) is a cross-sectoral, business-led organisation that ensures that the voice of energy efficiency is heard across Europe. EU-ASE members have operations across the 27 Member States of the European Union, employ over 340.000 people in Europe and have an aggregated annual turnover of €115 billion.

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EPBD recast: EU-ASE calls on MEPs to green-light ITRE compromise proposal

In view of the plenary vote in the European Parliament on the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), EU-ASE addressed MEPs in an open letter calling them to confirm the text recently adopted by the ITRE Committee and supported by the main political groups and progressive stakeholders.

The EPBD is a crucial element to make the EU building stock efficient, sustainable and healthy. From a socio-economic perspective, it will drive sustainable growth and job creation in the construction sector, one of the most dynamic of our economy. The broadly supported compromise proposal recently adopted by the ITRE Committee is an important step in the right direction.

As EU-ASE, we support the introduction of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for public, commercial and residential buildings. MEPS, with clear targets for the different building segments, are critical to provide predictability to the sector and allow businesses to effectively plan their investments (including the financial sector).

The ITRE compromise adds a derogation (Article 9, 1c) allowing Member States to adjust minimum energy performance standards for residential buildings and publicly owned social housing. Such derogation leaves enough leeway for the Member States and cannot be expanded further without jeopardising the implementation of MEPS.

As a complementary step, it is essential to ensure the harmonisation of energy performance classes (EPC) across Member States, overcoming the current system of different thresholds based on national criteria, which creates enormous comparability issues. Defining the worst-performing 15% of each Member State’s building stock as class G is a good step towards further harmonisation. At the same time, further efforts will be needed to ensure the convergence of the EPC scale.

We support the agreed timelines to ensure that all new buildings are Zero-Emission Buildings, starting from new buildings occupied, operated or owned by public authorities. As public buildings represent 5% to 10% of the EU energy consumption, their contribution to achieving an efficient and decarbonised building stock is crucial. The public sector must showcase the benefits of energy savings to citizens and stimulate investments in the renovation market.

Read the full letter here

Read more on our position on the EPBD recast.

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Doing more with less: Increase energy efficiency & reduce carbon intensity of wastewater treatment plants

The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a recast of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). This document gathers our inputs to the co-legislators that are due to negotiate and finalise the draft proposal in the next months.

The UWWTD played a substantial role in improving water quality and tackling high pollution levels in water bodies throughout decades. In 2021, we called for an update of the over 30 years old UWWTD because we were convinced it could be improved to better address some of today’s most pressing challenges such climate change, resource scarcity, increased energy prices and population growth.

The recast proposal of the European Commission is the right step towards a more comprehensive, efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment. Nonetheless, we see room for improvement to further enhance energy efficiency, the recovery and use of excess heat, digitalisation, data analytics and water reuse.

Monica Frassoni, President of EU-ASE states: “In the current water and energy crisis, we must take all the possible actions to drive substantial water and energy savings, reduce emissions and increase the competitiveness of European industry. The revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive is key in this perspective. We call policymakers to apply the energy efficiency first principle. We have the technologies to reduce waste water treatment plants’ energy consumption, recover and use excess heat, reuse water and gradually make water treatment plants energy positive.”

Read the full paper here.

 

 

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Act firmly on energy security – Walk the talk on energy efficiency

Fourty-seven business leaders of European frontrunners on energy efficiency strongly encourage EU policy makers to adopt an ambitious and future-proof Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

In addition to the climate crisis, Europe is facing a severe energy prices and inflation crisis, hurting households, businesses, and economies. We see this as a pivotal moment where the mid-term objective of carbon neutrality must meet the short-term necessity to phase out fossil fuels. The fragile and inefficient nature of our current energy system and building stock has left Europe exposed. But years of inaction and low renovation rates can be reversed.

Energy efficiency is the best policy to shelter European citizens and businesses from high energy prices, restore European sovereignty while improving living conditions of our citizens. This is why structural measures to stop energy waste must be put in place to guide and help households and businesses before short term economic relief measures are phased out.

Fourty-seven business leaders of European frontrunners on energy efficiency strongly encourage EU policy makers to adopt an ambitious and future-proof Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Read the full letter here.

 

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Revisione EPBD: Lettera congiunta al Ministro Pichetto

Insieme ad altre cinque associazioni italiane ed europee, EU-ASE ha inviato una lettera aperta al Ministro dell’Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica Gilberto Pichetto Fratin per chiedere di rendere la Direttiva sulla prestazione energetica degli edifici (EPBD) un volano per valorizzare e modernizzare il patrimonio edilizio italiano.

In vista della revisione della EPBD, le organizzazioni firmatarie chiedono al Ministro di:

1. Supportare l’applicazione dello schema di valutazione SRI come strumento strategico per la riqualifica degli edifici non-residenziali

Pur mantenendo in linea generale un approccio di carattere facoltativo in ambito residenziale, per quanto riguarda gli edifici non-residenziali è auspicabile sostenere un approccio più ambizioso che disponga l’adozione di atti delegati ed esecutivi per prescrivere l’applicazione obbligatoria dello schema di valutazione SRI, e le modalità tecniche per una sua efficace implementazione, di impianti con potenza termica oltre 290kW entro il 31 dicembre 2024, mentre per impianti con potenza termica oltre 70kW l’implementazione effettiva dello schema di valutazione SRI a partire dal 1 gennaio 2030 (art. 13, commi 2 e 4).

2. Sostenere l’indicatore SRI come elemento attivo e premiante per elevare la qualità e il livello prestazionale e di modernizzazione degli immobiliSupportare e promuovere tout courta livello europeo l’indicatore SRI come:

  • motore e termometro della trasformazione degli edifici, anche per un efficace utilizzo dei fondi Next Generation EU e delle Politiche di Coesione,
  • strumento premiante nei processi di finanziamento nazionali ed europei con incentivazione integrativa a garanzia del raggiungimento delle migliori prestazioni dell’indicatore SRI stesso,
  • abilitatore alla modernizzazione degli immobili, utilizzando la leva delle transazioni immobiliari di affitto e vendita degli edifici non-residenziali come base di riferimento per la valutazione dello stato di predisposizione all’intelligenza e volano naturale per accelerare l’attuazione della EPBD anche sugli edifici non sottoposti a ristrutturazioni profonde. 
  1. Prevedere un programma di finanziamento pluriennale e continuativo “Building 4.0” per la trasformazione digitale e la riqualificazione di qualità del patrimonio edilizioVista la portata degli investimenti che, a livello europeo, dovranno essere effettuati per accompagnare il processo di riqualifica dell’intero settore degli edifici in chiave digital & green sino alla neutralità climatica, diventa più che mai necessario disporre di un quadro finanziario stabile e di lungo periodo per assicurare una copertura adeguata degli interventi, legare i finanziamenti, o premialità integrative, a risultati certi e misurabili (anche) grazie all’asseverazione dell’indicatore SRI, con il fine di incrementare il livello prestazionale di efficienza energetica e l’attrattività, nazionale e internazionale, dei nostri immobili.

    4. Assicurare piena implementazione a livello nazionale delle norme sui requisiti minimi legate ai BACS Il decreto legislativo 10 giugno 2020, n. 48 di attuazione della precedente direttiva EPBD prevedeva l’emanazione di almeno un decreto attuativo, necessario a definire i dettagli necessari al fine di implementare le nuove misure, come quelle legate ai requisiti BACS. Entro il 31 Dicembre 2024, tutti gli edifici non-residenziali con una potenza nominale > 290kW dovranno essere equippaggiati con sistemi BACS dotati di determinate caratteristiche (corrispondenti a classe B ed A dello standard EN ISO 52120-1). Questi punti sono stati delineati in dettaglio da una precedente lettera inviata nell’Aprile 2021 al Ministro Cingolani. Auspichiamo che il Ministero possa finalmente dare seguito agli impegni precedentemente presi e dare completa e reale attuazione alla Direttiva, anche al fine di evitare procedure di infrazione.

    Link alla lettera

    Link ai punti principali

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