The European Commission adopted its 2050 Energy Roadmap today (15th December 2011) setting out its views about Europe’s energy future. The Roadmap is based on modelling work that creates scenarios of possible future energy mixes on the energy supply side. However, whilst Commissioner Oettinger has publicly stated that “The first tool of the EU energy strategy is and should remain energy efficiency”, the Roadmap does not take sufficient account of the potential impact of energy efficiency. [...]
Evidence shows a nine-fold return to the public on renovation investment
Potential annual savings equivalent to four billion barrels of imported oil
Today’s Renovate Europe Day, organized by the Renovate Europe campaign, brings together non-governmental organizations, politicians, academics and industry representatives. The aim of the Renovate Europe campaign, initiated by EuroACE, is to promote the huge - but largely unknown - capacity of deep renovation of buildings as the most effective way to meet the economic and energy challenges that face the EU.[...]
EuroACE, the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings, and its member companies note with satisfaction that the Commission has proposed a Directive (COM (2011) 370 final) whose focus is on improving energy efficiency in the EU. However, we regret the low level of ambition, targets and firm measures that the proposed Directive contains for the buildings sector. [...]
The European Commission adopted its long awaited Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe on the 20th September 2011. It rightly recognises that buildings have a significant role to play in bringing the EU to the point where economic growth is de-coupled from resource depletion, but its milestone of cost efficiently refurbishing the building stock at a rate of 2% per annum by 2020 falls well short of the level of ambition required. [...]
EuroACE, the European association representing companies in the energy efficiency in buildings sector, cautiously welcomes the Commission’s publication of the Energy Efficiency Directive. However, EuroACE is concerned about the lack of long term strategic vision in the proposals. [...]
EuroACE is delighted to announce the appointment of Adrian Joyce as its new Secretary General. Mr Joyce will join EuroACE from the Architects Council of Europe (ACE) where he most recently served as Director with full responsibility for running the ACE Secretariat in Brussels. In his new role with EuroACE he will represent EuroACE and its members towards the European Institutions and spearhead its advocacy efforts to promote policies which lead to greater energy efficiency in buildings. Mr Joyce will also coordinate the recently launched Renovate European Campaign which aims to encourage the adoption of policies which will triple the renovation rate of buildings across Europe. [...]
With the website going live on www.takeyourenergyback.eu, the European Campaign for Smart-energy Buildings, aiming at investing smartly in energy efficiency and renewable energy for the building sector, was launched. The campaign invites citizens, building owners, and public authorities to interact, get informed and act to create smart energy buildings. Based on the Obama presidential campaign, ‘Smart-e Buildings’ is unique since it uses social media to mobilise and empower people. The Intelligent Energy Europe Programme of the European Commission supports the campaign. [...]
Industry leaders of some of Europe’s leading companies and organisations published last week an open letter to EU Member State energy ministers urging them to refocus Europe’s energy policy on promoting the energy efficiency of buildings. [...]
Industry is deeply concerned by the release of the European Commission’s Energy Efficiency Plan 2011. Although it is clear and publicly acknowledged that the 2020 energy savings target will not be met by current measures in place in Member States, Brussels is delaying taking concrete action until at least 2013. [...]
Today’s European Summit dedicated to energy and innovation has emphasised the importance of energy savings for the climate, as well as for competitiveness, jobs and energy security. The cross-sectoral Coalition for Energy Savings welcomes European leaders’ focus on energy efficiency, but warns that there is not enough being done to get us on track to meet the 20% energy efficiency target by 2020. [...]
Take your energy back with smart investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy for the building sector.
www.takeyourenergyback.eu