Op-ed: Ready. Steady. Go! European energy efficient technology providers are eager to contribute to the 2030 climate target

By Emil Mathiasen (Grundfos) and Stefaan Vanderstraeten (Daikin), EuroACE Board Members.

In her State of the Union speech, Commission President von der Leyen proposed to raise the EU 2030 climate target from 40% to at least 55%, a level she described as “ambitious, achievable, and beneficial for Europe”. We agree. We also agree that “we will not get there with the status quo”.

Ready? Energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation in buildings are THE key enablers to reach a higher climate ambition. The buildings sector has the biggest potential in terms of efficiency gains, and we should at least double or even triple the current annual 1% renovation rate and move towards deep or staged-deep renovations.

Steady. For homeowners and tenants, 80% of the energy we use goes to heating and hot water, most of it still based on gas and oil. By 2030, replacing existing boilers with heat pumps using green electricity can contribute to a 9% reduction of CO2 emissions compared to 1990 levels – one third of the emissions we still need to reduce to achieve the 55% target.