Europe’s building efficiency industry welcomes the Commission’s intention to propose a binding energy efficiency target in the framework of the 2030 climate and energy package. In a letter addressed to EU Commissioners, five organisations, including PU Europe, call on the Commission to design this target in a way that embraces the full cost-effective saving potential of the EU building stock and is accompanied by a binding sectoral energy savings target for buildings. Oliver Loebel, Managing Director of PU Europe commented, “It is truly encouraging to witness the increasing recognition of energy efficiency as a major enabler of supply security, economic growth and local job creation. On the other hand, there are worries that the target could be set at a level that does not address the savings potential of Europe’s buildings. This could lead to a situation where the target, instead of triggering necessary investments, slows them down.”

 

Buildings consume about 40 % of Europe’s energy and 61 % of all imported gas (1). Their total costeffective savings potential until 2030 is estimated at about 60 %2. The deep renovation of buildings could reduce the sector’s gas imports by 60 % by 2030 and 95 % by 2050. At the same time, up to 1.4 million additional jobs could be created (2). An energy efficiency target below 35 % and not accompanied by a clear signal to the construction sector would hamper the roll-out of deep-renovation projects and favour business-as-usual solutions. This would lock-in savings potentials for decades. “Given the urgent need for a stable, long-term framework, the huge saving potential and multiple economic benefits, we strongly encourage the EU institutions to set a binding sectoral target for buildings as part of the overall energy efficiency target”, Loebel concluded.

 

The letter is available by clicking on the link above.
 

Email: secretariat@pu-europe.eu Website: www.pu-europe.eu

Learn more about the benefits of polyurethane insulation at www.excellence-in-insulation.eu.

1 Ecofys: Deep renovation of buildings-An effective way to decrease Europe’s energy import dependency (2014)

2 Fraunhofer ISI: Analysis of a European Reference Target System for 2030 (2013)