Publications
Discover how we are contributing to a sustainable European Energy future
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 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...
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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 First Principle (EE1st) to avoid possible stranded assets. Although urgent action is needed, the proposal focuses exclusively on source diversification....
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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 invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated the energy price crisis which is negatively affecting European citizens and businesses, threatening Europe’s energy...
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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) emissions. Saving water saves energy and saving energy saves water. Our joint declaration supports policy makers with 11 recommendations on how to...
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EU-ASE Feedback to the Public Consultation on the Revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive
The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) welcomes the Commission’s proposal to revise the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and supports the high level of ambition in tackling emissions from large industrial installations as well as the stronger emphasis on energy and resources efficiency, including water. While the directive marks a very positive development, there is still room for improvement notably on the application of the Energy Efficiency First principle, the scope, the...
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Response to the Commission’s consultation on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
The The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the expost consultation on the EPBD revision. Together with the rest of the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative ecosystem, the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is crucial to address challenges the European Union is facing: the climate emergency, the soaring energy prices and the European dependency on fossil fuels from third countries. In this document, EU-ASE reacts to the...
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Response to targeted review of the GBER with revised rules for State aid
The European Green Deal target to reach climate neutrality by 2050 calls for unprecedented levels of public and private investments accompanied by deep reforms. In this context, well-designed State Aid schemes will be key to unlock investments and make the best use of public funds. The European Alliance to Save Energy is happy to provide its feedback on the revised GBER. Energy efficiency is the bedrock of a decarbonised EU energy system: energy efficiency gains are essential to achieve the...
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Response to the Roadmap on the Digitalisation of the Energy Sector
The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the inception roadmap on the EU Action Plan on the Digitalisation of the Energy Sector. Digitalisation is key to accelerate the decarbonisation of the economy while ensuring business competitiveness. Digitalisation makes it possible to deliver energy at the right time, in the right place and at the lowest cost. It provides excellent opportunities to further reduce energy demand and optimise energy...
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