Energy efficiency is crucially important for achieving Europe’s climate and energy targets. The EU should therefore be more ambitious says rapporteur Michiel Rijsberman (NL/D66)
Achieving the Paris targets will represent a major challenge for Europe. Europe will need to aim higher in energy efficiency (40% in 2030) in order to meet its targets; it will not be enough to continue on the current path. Raising this energy saving target level to 2% per year from 1.5% will however generate more economic growth and more employment and will lead to lower energy imports:
A higher energy saving target would reduce the EU’s gas import of 60% and create 1.2 to 3.2 million additional jobs in Europe
Michiel Rijsberman supports the European Commission’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive to improve the energy performance of buildings.
The cheapest energy is the one we don’t use. Energy efficiency is a source of energy in itself, inexhaustible and available everywhere. It will help local authorities to achieve climate and energy targets as they play a vital role in the energy transition.
About 75% of buildings in Europe are energy inefficient and every year only 0.4% to 1.2% of building stock is renovated. Rijsberman advocates requiring knowledge about energy renovation in houses and buildings to be included in education curricula for workers in the construction industry, aimed at SME businessmen and workers in the sector and recommends that public authorities and market players provide home owners with better information about energy renovation opportunities for houses (what, how and where), for example via an easily accessible website and attractive packages.
