Brussels,  30  November  2016:  Glass  for  Europe,  the  trade  association  of  the  flat  glass  sector, which manufactures energy saving technologies  for the building, transport and solar-energy sectors, is pleased that with  today’s  release  of  the  ‘Clean  energy  for  all  Europeans’  package,  a  real debate  on  the  long-awaited modernisation of the EU’s energy efficiency legislations is made possible. 

Bertrand  Cazes,  Secretary  General  of  Glass  for  Europe,  comments:  ‘Expectations  on  energy efficiency and  in particular on thermal renovation of buildings,  are high.’  By embracing the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle and setting the need to prioritize the building sector, the European Commission has set the  right  policy path  in its Energy  Union  package.  ‘It  is  now  time  for  the focus  on  energy  efficiency  in  buildings  to  materialize  with subsequent and actionable  measures allowing the wider  construction industry  to deliver on its jobs creation and energy savings promises to effectively tackle climate change’ Bertrand Cazes adds.

In this respect, the proposal from the European Commission of  a binding 30% target for energy efficiency is a step in the right direction although Glass for Europe considers it  ‘minimalistic’  to unlock the energy savings potential of buildings. Glass for Europe will call on co-legislators to raise the overall ambition level.

Glass for Europe welcomes the European Commission’s stated ambition of achieving a ‘decarbonised building stock’  in Europe by 2050  provided that it does not dilute energy savings ambitions.  The new ‘Smart Finance for  Smart  Buildings’  initiative  and  the  securing  of  national  roadmaps  for  building  renovation  are  welcomed instruments  to  leverage  investments  in  building  renovation.  However,  Glass  for  Europe  regrets  the  lack  of concrete measures  in the revised ‘Energy Performance of Buildings Directive to support the deployment of cost-effective  energy-efficient  technologies  in  building  materials  like  glass  facades  and  windows.  Bertrand Cazes  underlines  that  ‘Measures  to  support  the  integration  of  ‘smart’  components  to  buildings  should  not overshadow that  this Commission proposal is weak on  the performance of  building envelope  technologies, which deliver massive reductions in heating and cooling needs in buildings.’