Papers
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...
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Gas package: energy system efficiency, rather than a fuel switch
In December 2021, the European Commission issued two proposals, the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC and the Gas Regulation (EC) No 715/2009, laying down the foundation for a European low-carbon gas industry, the so-called “Gas Package”. The Commission’s approach should depart from this old paradigm and uphold the commitment to the Energy Efficiency...
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Short to mid-term measures in energy efficiency to reduce gas consumption in Europe
The European Union is set to reduce fossil gas imports from Russia by 2/3 by the end of 2022 and to become independent from all Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. This paper summarises the outstanding contributions that energy efficiency can play in the short to mid-term to greatly reduce Europe’s reliance on fossil fuels. The Russian...
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Unleash the potential of the water-energy nexus in the energy efficiency directive
The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) and Water Europe (WE), call on the European Parliament and the Member States to unleash the potential of the Water-Energy nexus in the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). The nexus holds the potential to generate large-scale energy and water savings across sectors and reduce Green House Gases (GHG)...
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Making the Energy Efficiency Directive fit for 55%
Following the adoption of the Climate Law and in view of its higher climate ambition for 2030 and 2050, the European Commission proposed to revise the Energy Efficiency Directive. Energy efficiency must become the bedrock of a decarbonised energy system. Amending the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) is the starting point for the Union to deliver...
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Cohesion Policy: Inputs to deliver energy savings and long-term resilience
Energy efficiency gains are essential to reach the European Union increased emission reduction target by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. The EU cohesion policy programming for 2021-2027 can greatly contribute to promoting the uptake of energy efficient measures, making sure that no region or city is left behind in the transition to a clean...
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Recommendations to shape the decade of buildings renovations
Reducing energy demand and increasing energy efficiency in the buildings sector is a prerequisite for achieving the EU’s energy and climate objectives. This position paper calls on the European Commission to revise the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), aligning its objectives with the European Green Deal. The revision of the EPBD...
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Boosting energy efficiency through the revision of State Aid rules
The European Commission should revise EU State Aid rules so they can help boost energy efficiency across Europe. To ensure that the energy markets are fair, flexible, and secure, the EU State Aid rules must address investment gaps by providing enabling conditions for attracting private investment. This is politically relevant considering the...
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The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive to fully realise water and energy savings (updated)
Overall, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) has played a substantial role in improving the quality of European water resources and reducing pollution levels in water bodies. However, Europe remains some way from full compliance with collection and treatment requirements and has made little progress with water reuse. We believe the...
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Considerations on the draft Recovery and Resilience Plans of Italy and Spain
The National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) are a unique opportunity to boost the economy, safeguard and/or create good jobs and win the fight against climate change in the short and long term. According to the available drafts, both Italy and Spain, two of the biggest beneficiaries of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, seem to be...
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