An industrial plan for systemic change in the energy efficiency sector
The Green Deal Industrial Plan (GDIP) and the proposed Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) are a good step towards addressing some of the bottlenecks in delivering on the objectives of the EU Green Deal. To bring about systemic change in our industrial policy, we need a much broader, comprehensive plan, with the energy efficiency sector at the heart of it.
Buildings consume 40% of primary energy in the EU and are responsible for over a third of our GHG emissions. Energy efficiency addresses both challenges and is one of the main solutions to achieve the EU Green Deal’s objectives – energy renovations reduce energy consumption by up to 90%, create 18,000 jobs per €1 billion invested, significantly boost energy security and accelerate the transition towards renewable energy.
The European Commission focused on necessary short-term energy savings in 2022. Now is the time for medium- and long-term structural measures to be ramped up to sustainably shelter EU citizens and businesses from volatile energy prices and foster EU sovereignty. A more coordinated industrial policy is needed in this sector to achieve the EU’s objective of a fully decarbonised building stock by 2050.
Julie Kjestrup, President of EuroACE and Head of Policy and Thought Leadership at VELUX
While the Green Deal Industrial Plan and Net-Zero Industry Act are promising for developing and scaling up new innovative solutions, let’s also look at the solutions which are already there: to that end, we need an industrial plan that focuses on energy efficiency across all products and solutions. We need a comprehensive
plan that delivers systemic change.
Many of the energy efficiency technologies needed to support a higher renovation rate are already available today, and the current European leadership in energy efficiency products and solutions should be preserved and boosted. They are key for a net zero economy, and a key pillar of European energy security and strategic autonomy.
