EP’s Energy Committee Challenges the EC on Energy Efficiency Ambition

Today, the European Parliament’s Energy committee reiterated its call for a 40% energy efficiency target for 2030, regretting the “extremely unrealistic” impact assessment from the European Commission.

In its report on the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Committee calls on the European Commission to move to a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis taking into account the multiple benefits of energy efficiency and using a social discount rate. The vote comes at an important moment as the Commission is preparing legislative proposals, expected after the summer, to update and revise the EU’s framework legislation for energy efficiency, the Energy Efficiency Directive.

The Coalition for Energy Savings has called on European Commission’s President Jean-Claude Juncker to ensure that energy efficiency is put first in the legislative work this year to send a positive signal to EU industry, investors and citizens. This requires recognising the value of energy efficiency to our society when assessing the impact of 2030 ambitions.

Improving energy efficiency by 40% by 2030 is not only achievable but also highly profitable for the EU economy. Research for DG Energy has shown that the EU has a 40% cost-effective energy savings potential for 2030. Tapping this potential would save around 317Mtoe by 2030, compared to draft projections for business as usual energy consumption. This is just less than the gas imported by the EU in 2013. This would trigger over €631billion worth of investment in the European economy, twice the amount expected to be generated by President Juncker’s investment plan. In turn, creating or maintaining over 9.5 million jobs in the EU, nearly half of the unemployed people in the EU.

Source: Coalition for Energy Savings