Brussels, Belgium – Europe’s energy ministers must lead the charge towards a three-fold increase in the impact of Europe’s efforts to stop wasting energy. Huge benefits from energy savings and energy efficiency are still being denied to the EU’s citizens and businesses - even when they strongly support it. This is the message that a novel coalition of 19 environmental and social NGOS, business and professional associationsi today delivered at a meeting with Paul Magnette,
Belgian Minister for Climate and Energy Policy and the current President of the EU Energy Council.

Welcoming the development of the coalition, Minister Magnette said, “The message of The Coalition is timely and important. It demonstrates that all parts of society agree on the need for energy efficiency and savings because it is a massive source of cheap, reliable and sustainable energy – a message I shall take to my colleagues in the Council who should be emboldened by this support”.

During the meeting, the new Coalition committed to demonstrating and acting upon the growing evidence of the scale of potential benefits to consumers, economic competitiveness and job creationii. The EU’s 20% savings target must be prioritised at the heart of the Europe2020 strategy.

However deep concerns that the EU will miss these targets and their benefits without high level political commitment, were also expressed by the Coalition. What is needed mostly are additional and more tailored financial schemes and delivery mechanisms, greater professional training and public information, proper implementation and enforcement of existing and future policy
instruments as well as the adoption of specific binding targets.

“There is a vast potential of energy efficiency measures and cost savings that Europe has not even begun to tap into” said Tony Long, Director of WWF’s European Policy Office. “A much higher political priority for energy efficiency measures is essential if the EU has any chance to meet its 20% energy saving target by 2020. The result will be lower energy bills for consumers – with potential
savings of up to €78 billion annually by 2020, the generation of millions of valuable jobs and a massive boost to new innovation in low-carbon industries and services."
Luigi Meli, Director General of CECED, added: “The Coalition supports the effort of the Belgian Presidency to raise the importance of energy efficiency and ensure decisions are taken in the Council and other EU institutions that help European companies take the lead in the global race for innovative and sustainable solutions and products. This is an economic imperative on which we must work together immediately.”

i The founding organisations of the coalition are : Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), Climate Action Network (CAN-Europe), The European Liaison Committee for Social Housing (Cecodhas), ClientEarth, European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration (COGEN Europe), European Copper Institute, European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee), the EU Corporate Leaders’ Group on Climate Change, European Insulation Manufacturers Association (Eurima), European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE), European Climate Foundation (ECF), European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers (CECED), European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Glass for Europe, PU Europe, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), The Architects' Council of Europe (ACE), The Climate Group, WWF .

ii E.g. the forthcoming study by Fraunhofer ISI and Ecofys: ‘Energy Saving 2020 – How to Triple the Impact of Energy Savings Policies in Europe., to be released in full on 15 September 2010.

For more information, please contact:

The Coalition secretariat - Samuel Maubanc, Communications Officer
Tel: +32 2 250 00 11
Email: samuel.maubanc@edelman.com
CECED - Tristan Macdonald, Communications Manager
Tel: +32 2 706 82 88

Email: tristan.macdonald@ceced.eu
WWF – Stephanie Rhomberg, Communications and Press Officer Climate & Energy, WWF European
Policy Office,
Tel: +32 2 743 88 06
Email: srhomberg@wwfepo.org