The European Commission proposes a regulation on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030, which should drive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in sectors such as transport, buildings, agriculture and waste. “Yet the link with energy efficiency improvements as the key driver of such emission cuts is unclear”, the Coalition for Energy Saving writes.
The Coalition also argues that the regulation is not based on a fair and robust assessment of the potential for energy savings, therefore missing out the significant economic benefits of combating climate changeand running the risk of inconsistent policy design.
The European Parliament has called for a comprehensive cost-benefits analysis of energy efficiency and insisted on a binding energy efficiency target of 40% for 2030. Yet, the Commission proposals only consider a target of 27% (having in mind an EU level of 30%) for energy efficiency.
“Building national climate targets on the potential for efficiency would secure benefits to all Member States, especially lower-income countries with significant investment gaps”, said Stefan Scheuer, Secretary General of The Coalition for Energy Savings. “The Commission should step up efforts to truly place energy efficiency first in its policy making, which will benefit citizens directly, through renovating inefficient buildings, replacing wasteful equipment and technologies, updating production facilities and building an efficient and clean mobility system”
Source Name: ECEEE
Source URL: http://www.eceee.org/all-news/news/news-2016/2016-07-22a