2nd State of the Energy Union: a warning against complacency on building efficiency

On 1 February 2017, the European Commission published its 2nd State of the Energy Union Communication, including a progress report on the 2020 energy efficiency target, and making 2017 the ‘Year of Implementation’.

The Communication rightly points out that action on the renovation of buildings should now be the priority, and rightly identifies access to finance as one of the most pressing challenges. EuroACE agreed with the Commission’s recommendations: energy efficiency, especially in buildings, is a huge opportunity for both individual wellbeing and long-term economic benefit.

To make it happen, we called on the European Parliament and the Council to go further than the Commission’s proposal on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which only makes limited improvements, and to adopt a clearer and stronger 2050 perspective. Energy renovation that delivers highly energy efficient buildings is the cornerstone for the decarbonisation of the building stock and an essential enabler for the transformation of our energy system.