Energy waste in buildings: Central governments do not lead by example
Posted on May, 21 2015
New analysis by the Coalition for Energy Savings of national reports on the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) reveals that central governments have not shown leadership in ending the waste of energy in their own buildings.
Brussels, 21 May 2015 – New analysis by the Coalition for Energy Savings of national reports on the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) reveals that central governments have not shown leadership in ending the waste of energy in their own buildings.
The report analyses the plans and inventories that Member States notified to the European Commission in order to comply with Article 5 of the EED, which requires them to annually renovate 3% of the floor area of central government buildings or put in place alternative measures to reach at least the same energy savings.
Eleven Member States chose the default approach, while 17 Member States selected the alternative approach which allows the Member States to opt for non-renovation measures, such as behavioural change campaigns. Out of the 11 Member States that have chosen the default procedure, only Latvia and Slovenia have provided good quality inventories, which are the first essential step to plan and start the renovations. Overall, Member States have provided limited information, and no clear plans on the renovations to be undertaken to achieve the required energy savings.
“It would be unfortunate if our governments would not use their powers to invest in saving energy in their buildings and reduce running costs. This is more than just about applying EU rules, it is about putting energy efficiency first”, said Stefan Scheuer, Secretary General of the Coalition for Energy Savings.
“Governments have an opportunity to kick start the market for renovations by putting their house in order and making their own buildings monuments of energy efficiency”, said Arianna Vitali from WWF European Policy Office. “It is time for them to walk the energy efficiency talk and create a learning laboratory to prepare the market for larger-scale refurbishment programmes”.
As a multi-stakeholder Coalition, uniting 27 European business, civil society, professional, trade union and local government organisations, the Coalition for Energy Savings calls on Member States and on the EU to consider energy efficiency first in their investment decisions and to achieve its full cost-effective energy savings potentials.
Contact:
Marion Santini | +32 2 235 20 13 | press@energycoalition.eu | @EUenergysavings
Notes for editors:
- The full study is available here: http://assets.panda.org/downloads/20150520_coalition_for_energy_savings___article_5_analysis_report.pdf
- The Coalition for Energy Savings undertakes regular assessments to keep track of progress of implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) at Member State level. For an assessment of Article 7 of the EED: http://energycoalition.eu/20150316
- Coalition for Energy Savings Guidebook for A Strong Implementation of the EED: http://energycoalition.eu/guidebook-strong-implementation-0
- European Commission’s website on the Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency:http://ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/eed/eed_en.htm
The benefits of energy savings also extend far beyond achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
© Istockphoto / de santis paolo
The benefits of energy savings also extend far beyond achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
© Istockphoto / de santis paolo