Despite agreeing, in the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, to adopt a binding provision for the renovation of 3 % of central government buildings each year, or to take equivalent measures, a new analysis by the Coalition for Energy Savings [1] shows that the plans put forward by the Member States lack ambition and will not achieve the agreed objectives.
The opening of the European Sustainable Energy Week [2] (EUSEW) in Brussels will see Commissioner Cañete heralding the concept of Energy Efficiency First. However, more is needed. Referring to the findings of a new study conducted by the Coalition for Energy Savings, the Energy Efficiency Industrial Forum [3] (EEIF) urges Member States to take concrete action and to fully implement the Energy Efficiency Directive without any further delay.
Entitled "Analysis of Member States Plans to Implement Article 5 of the Energy Efficiency Directive" the report clearly shows that Member States’ plans lack commitment to using this opportunity to kick-start the economically important and highly beneficial renovation market. The analysis identifies several weaknesses, including reporting obligations, insufficient base-line data sets and a lack of specificity in planned actions, along with their anticipated savings.
“It is regrettable that many governments see this obligation as a burden and not as a profitable investment in the future”, said Oliver Loebel, Managing Director of PU Europe. "It is well-established that the renovation of buildings does not only significantly reduce future costs but also delivers multiple benefits including reduced health care costs and increased productivity of building users", continued Oliver Loebel.
The industries participating in the EEIF believe that the Energy Efficiency Directive can have a substantial positive impact on their sector – a sector which has an annual turnover of more than €150 bn in the EU and could contribute significantly more to economic recovery and job creation if the ambitions of the Member States for energy efficiency measures are increased.
"The Energy Efficiency Directive contains articles covering the complete energy chain. The lack of national governments’ ambition to put energy efficiency first in policy considerations spreads across all supply and demand sectors leaving untapped a substantial potential to increase supply security. Without any doubt, necessary energy efficiency actions for controlling and reducing energy demand have to be taken at the Member State level", stated Valérie Plainemaison, Secretary General of EFIEES.
The participants in the EEIF are calling on the European Commission to demonstrate, through the review of the Energy Efficiency Directive, how the approach on obliging Member States to lead by example can be strengthened so as to secure the outcomes which the Member States themselves voted into legislation.
Note to editors:
Article 5 of the Energy Efficiency Directive seeks to ensure that public buildings play an exemplary role in boosting building renovation markets by requiring that all central government buildings in the EU are subjected to an annual renovation rate that will reduce their collective energy demand by 3 % per year to 2020.
To the press release here
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[1] http://energycoalition.eu/20150521[2] See http://www.eusew.eu/[3] See http://www.eeif.eu/