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As France changes environment minister, we must collectively admit that a very poor job has been done with Europe’s Clean Energy Package, writes Yamina Saheb.
Emmanuel Macron was elected on the promise of “Un Nouveau Monde” in France and within the EU. Many of us hoped that the “Progressive” French president would take the lead to “#makeourplanetgreatagain”.
The heatwaves, currently experienced in Europe, should be a wake-up call to stop ignoring summer domestic energy poverty.
The final compromise EPBD text on which the Parliament will vote tomorrow (17 April) includes a requirement for member states to establish long-term renovation strategies.
Introducing the concept of “decarbonised building stock” in the EPBD is a major step towards the implementation of more integrated efficiency and renewable solutions when buildings are renovated.
The 2018 EPBD recast aims at transforming Europe’s buildings into highly energy efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050 by facilitating the cost-effective transformation of existing buildings into nearly-zero energy buildings. The EPBD recast, if effectively implemented, will create an nZEB renovation market of at least 250 million dwellings and 7 billion m² of non-residential buildings, over the period 2018-2050.
Energy poverty and climate crisis are interlinked, urgent issues, where inaction costs live. The EU’s 2030 energy package is an opportunity to act on both challenges, to radically improve the well-being of millions of people while tackling climate change. Decision-makers have a duty to ensure everyone, in particular, vulnerable households, can take part and benefit from the transition.
I was delighted to hear, last week in Paris, that Vice-President Maros Sefcovic of the European Commission confirmed Europe’s call for “an Airbus for batteries”. Delighted because just like for batteries, we need an Airbus model to renovate Europe and unleash the 4th industrial revolution in the construction sector.
The “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package confirms the pivotal role of the EU building stock in meeting EU 2030 climate and energy targets. In fact, the projected decarbonisation of the EU energy system is mainly based on the renovation of existing buildings and the increased penetration of renewable energies in heating, cooling and power generation.
The Clean Energy for all Europeans package is the first opportunity for Europe to align its domestic energy and climate targets with the ratified Paris Climate Agreement and the ratified Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the Commission’s modelling methodology and results do not reflect well the ratified international agreements and significantly overestimate the cost of energy transition.
Webinar platform of the Copenhagen Centre for Energy Efficiency
My initial research question, for the International Refurbishment Symposium, was about an ex-ante evaluation of the impacts on the renovation market of the European Commission's proposed Smart Finance for Smart Buildings (SFSB) initiative. To illustrate my theoretical evaluation; I decided to assess how the SFSB would impact the French energy renovation market.
