Joint call to EU leaders: #EUGreenRecovery to restart Europe

1 April 2020 | Latest Activities, Letters

Europe’s renewable energy and energy efficiency businesses call to fully integrate the proposed economic stimulus packages and the European Green Deal.

 

Dear Members of the European, national and local Parliaments,

Dear Presidents, Dear Heads of States and Governments,

Dear Commissioners, Dear Ministers,

Dear leaders of Europe,

 

The immediate and necessary, yet unprecedented measures currently taken to fight the COVID-19 pandemic have brought Europe’s economy to a near-to-complete standstill.

The signatories of this letter represent millions of employees from Europe’s renewable energy and energy efficiency value chains across the electricity, heating, cooling, building and transport sectors as well as supportive associations.

We call on the EU Commission to:

  • Fully integrate the proposed economic stimulus packages and the European Green Deal (as proposed by the European Council last week). Investments in a zero-carbon infrastructure and innovative solutions are the best and most cost-effective route to economic recovery on a national and supranational level while at the same time preparing the grounds for a secure and sustainable energy system.
  • Bring forward the necessary investments for rapid recovery.
  • Use the stimulus packages to accelerate investments in energy efficiency, renewable heating and cooling, electricity, mobility, zero-carbon buildings, and industrial processes.
  • Ensure ongoing supply of clean energy and ongoing investments in energy transition can continue in the current pandemic as essential services.

We stand behind the European Green Deal and urge you to create this link with the immediate stimulus packages. Today’s action addressing health and climate challenges across all policy areas and sectors will improve the well-being of citizens and the climate while strengthening Europe.

COVID-19 has forced the world into an economic pause. Now, you have the power to use the Green Deal to restart Europe and drive its economy with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy across all sectors. Such investments are both labour-rich and shovel-ready.

The renewable energy, flexibility and energy efficiency solutions industries are now cost-competitive and can sustain local jobs across Europe. With a strong European manufacturing base, Europe can show world-wide industrial leadership.

We trust you to take the right decisions. Our joint industries and associations are committed to making a green economic recovery a collective success.

 

Yours sincerely,

h

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EUASE welcomes climate neutrality and energy efficiency in EU climate law, regrets lack of engagement on 2030 target

4 March 2020 | Latest Activities, Press Releases

Brussels, 4 March 2020 – Today the European Commission unveiled its proposal for a European Climate Law, which enshrines the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 into EU legislation. The text establishes that, when setting a trajectory to reach such a goal, the Commission shall take into consideration “energy efficiency, energy affordability and security of supply” among other elements.

“We welcome the fact that the climate law enshrines the climate neutrality objective into EU legislation. We are also glad to see that the Commission will have to consider energy efficiency when setting the EU trajectory towards climate neutrality” – said Monica Frassoni, President of the European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE). “We look forward to continuing to work with EU institutions and Member States to highlight how Energy Efficiency First is an indispensable principle to reduce emissions, integrate RES, and achieve a fast, fair and cost-effective transition to a climate neutral EU,” she added.

“We do regret nevertheless that the Commission did not already include an intermediate emissions reduction target of at least 55% by 2030, considering the urgency of the situation and the devastating impact of climate change on our economies and societies,” President Frassoni stated. “We are also disappointed to see that the impact assessment is confirmed for September 2020. We believe that such assessment should be ready by June at the latest to let the EU take the lead in the next global meeting on climate change happening at the COP26 in Glasgow. We call on the EP and Council to improve the current draft during the upcoming legislative process.”

 

Media contact:

Matteo Guidi

+32 493 37 21 42 – matteo.guidi@euase.eu

Read the open letter undersigned by 38 organizations to EVP Frans Timmermans on the climate law

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Open letter to Executive Vice-President Timmermans on European climate law

27 February 2020 | Latest Activities, Letters

Broad cross-sectorial coalition of stakeholders calls for EU climate law to recognize the role of energy efficiency and renewables to reach climate neutrality by 2050

Dear Executive Vice-President Timmermans,

The European Green Deal  is a particularly positive beginning for the new European Commission. We welcome the Commission pledge to address the climate crisis and, by doing so, shape the future of Europe’s economy and society and lead by example worldwide.

We have come together as stakeholders representing energy efficiency and renewable technologies, local governments, regional organizations, think tanks and non-for profit organizations to express the need for climate law to orient the action of the EU towards what is the fastest and most cost-effective way to reduce emissions: the recognition of the Energy Efficiency First principle, which is a prerequisite for the much needed deployment of a 100% renewable-based energy supply.  This will boost the European economy by creating new opportunities and jobs and reduce our dependence on energy imports.

As such, we recommend to:

  • Recognize Energy Efficiency First as an overarching principle of the EU Climate Law governance
  • Include an intermediate GHG emissions reduction target of at least 55% by 2030.
  • Mainstream policy coherence with increased and mandatory energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon emissions targets.

We ask you to consider these recommendations and bring forward a climate law proposal which will recognise the role of energy efficiency as a potent and critical catalyst to the massive scale-up of renewables in a resource-constrained planet.

We look forward to cooperating with you to make Europe the first climate neutral continent.

 

List of undersigning stakeholders:

h

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EU-ASE response to European Commission consultation on climate law

13 February 2020 | Consultations, Latest Activities

According to the Commission LTS, the EU must halve its energy consumption by 2050. Energy efficiency therefore must play a central role in achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

Considering that the world economy will triple by 2050 and that global population will increase by nearly 2.3 billion by 2050, energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to decouple economic growth from emissions.

Significant reductions in overall energy demand will come from energy use in buildings. Residential and commercial buildings currently account for 40 % of EU energy consumption – with 75 % of these buildings being built before energy performance standards existed – 36% of emissions and 50% of the total mineral resources extracted from the planet. Most of the housing stock of 2050 already exists and will need to be renovated. Our building stock needs to become net zero carbon, which involves ramping up the rate and depth of renovation and ensuring efficient and decarbonised energy supply in the building sector. The “Renovation Wave” needs to build from the implementation of the Long Term Renovation Strategies, but also explore new drivers and triggers, including regulation, in order to scale up what has worked well in some countries.

 

Full text available via the link below

 

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10 priorities for transformative policies under the European Green Deal
EU-ASE contributes to Coalition’s Energy Efficiency package for the European Green Deal
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EU-ASE contributes to Coalition’s Energy Efficiency package for the European Green Deal

31 January 2020 | Latest Activities, Papers

The EU and its Member States have committed to achieving a significant reduction of their overall energy demand by agreeing on 20% and 32.5% energy efficiency targets for 2020 and 2030 respectively. Those targets set by the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) are minimum targets for which the Member States have to pledge indicative national contributions. In order to secure the achievement of these targets, the EU provides binding measures, including:

  • the energy savings obligation (EED Article 7), requiring each Member State to put in place policies and measures to deliver a minimum amount of new and additional energy savings per year until 2050;
  • Ecodesign, Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and CO2 emission standards for vehicles to ensure that CO2 emissions are reduced, and energy performance is significantly improved.

Although the current policy architecture (EU headline target, indicative national contributions and binding measures) has led to improvements, it is still not delivering enough. Energy consumption has been growing over the last years, and the European Commission does not expect the 2020 target to be achieved. Furthermore, the national 2030 energy efficiency national contributions put forward by Member States in their draft national energy and climate plans (NECPs) bring the EU only halfway to its 2030 energy savings target compared to the baseline.

In this context, the Coalition for Energy Savings notes that the Commission intends to reinforce the existing policy framework. Not delivering the minimum energy efficiency target is not an option. On the contrary, the 2030 target will need
to be revised to get on a path to net-zero emissions and to tap the cost-effective energy efficiency potential of at least 40%.

The Coalition for Energy Savings calls on the Commission to strongly support full implementation and enforcement of existing legislation and, in parallel, to put in place new measures to increase the ambition.

The Coalition proposes the following Energy Efficiency Package as an enabler to deliver the European Green Deal.

i

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Press release: European Green Deal requires energy efficiency first
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