EFIEES welcomes the European Green Deal and its focus on the need to primarily enforce the existing legislation and the engagement of the Commission to work closely with Member States in this respect, also within the framework of the NECPs.
However, as stated in our Manifesto for the present legislature, the challenge is still there and much is left to be done, particularly to ensure that the commitments taken under the Clean Energy Package are effectively met and make sure we are on track with our 2030 objectives
In welcoming many of the initiatives announced in the Green Deal Communication – especially the focus on smart sector integration and energy efficiency improvements to be realised via energy efficiency services and Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) – we have strongly reminded to adopt the following 4 guiding principles in the concrete elaboration of future key policies and actions:
- Put Energy Efficiency First, by ensuring the prioritisation of cost-effective energy efficiency measures to make both energy demand and supply more efficient, in line with the Governance Regulation;
- Promote Energy Efficiency Services, by addressing not only the financial dimension, but especially the existing barriers which currently hamper the effective uptake of energy efficiency services.
- Decarbonise Heating and Cooling, as it will not be possible to completely electrify the sector in the short-medium term, solutions to meet the current heating (and cooling) needs in an efficient and increasingly decarbonised way, should be further supported and duly considered for their key role in the transition;
- Adopt a district approach to decarbonisation, which takes fully into account both local conditions and nearby availability of resources (renewable energy and recovery of waste heat potential) when promoting solutions for the transition and sector integration.