2021-2027 Cohesion Policy support for energy efficiency and building renovation

This study for the Renovate Europe Campaign looks into how EU Member States plan to use cohesion policy funding to support renovation, and draws attention to key actions to maximise its impact.

An estimated €20 billion is programmed for energy renovation and energy efficiency, which could reach €29 billion with national co-financing: an important contribution, but not enough on its own to meet the 55% emissions reduction target for 2030. Together with the Recovery and Resilience Facility, cohesion funding will provide over €66 billion for energy renovation across the EU until 2029.

Of this, €10.6 billion is allocated to the public sector, €6.5 billion to housing and €2.9 billion to enterprises. The funding is expected to lead to 723,000 renovated dwellings and 33 million m² of renovated floor area of public infrastructure.

To get the most out of these funds, Member States should:

• Attract and leverage private finance while targeting grants where they are most needed
• Ensure careful coordination with other EU and public funds
• Monitor programme implementation and address delivery bottlenecks