A leaked European Union document has revealed that the European Commission plans to unveil a raft of new measures to help member states meet energy efficiency targets next year.
A draft of the document, leaked to Alice Stollmeyer’s EU blog this week, comprises a State of the Energy Union package which was to be delivered to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Investment Bank ahead of the COP21 summit which takes place over November and December.
It compiles reports into energy matters required under legislation alongside proposals to meet energy policy targets, particularly those relating to renewable energy generation and carbon reduction.
Within it, the EU has placed energy efficiency as one of three central elements to the transition to a low carbon economy and stated that all included, around €200 billion is invested into it per year.
But despite “significant progress” made by several member states and energy efficiency’s central role within the European Fund for Strategic Investments, the report claims that the collective efforts of member states will only amount to energy savings of only 17.6% compared to 2020, short of its 20% target.
In order to address this, the Commission intends to remove the “numerous barriers” preventing the EU from meeting its “full potential” on efficiency, including what it has labelled a “shortage of dedicated financial tools” to stimulate investment.
The document stresses that “forceful implementation” of existing legislation is needed alongside strengthened policies at both EU and national level. The Commission intends to align the Energy Efficiency Directive to the 2030 target of 27% of energy savings and place a particular focus on buildings.
Central to this will be a thorough evaluation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive ahead of a possible revision.
A scheme is to be established in order to aggregate smaller energy efficiency projects, designed to give investors better opportunities and make it easier for national, regional and local energy efficiency programmes to access capital.
However the document states that the EU’s biggest challenge is to make heating and cooling more efficient, as it is currently the largest user of energy in the EU, responsible for more than half (53.4%) of energy use. In early 2016 a “dedicated strategy” will be published to promote the “smart transformation” of the sector in residential, industrial and tertiary sectors.
The document and its proposed policies are however subject to change, and amendments could still be made prior to its intended publication on 18 November.