Beyond energy efficiency

(01 Sep 09) eceee presents its input paper for the new EU Energy Efficiency Action Plan. "Instead of just creating a long wish list, we have tried to focus on fewer, but very important issues" said eceee's Executive Director Nils Borg.

The paper underlines the importance of issues such as minimum energy performance standards, mandatory efficiency targets, the need for clear and manageable objectives, incentives, and capacity building in EU Member States.

The paper has been developed by participants at the eceee 2009 Summer Study and was further refined through a consultation among eceee's members.

The paper's conclusions are in short:

• The new EEAP should contain a finite number of clear and manageable high level objectives.
• These should include: 1. mandatory energy efficiency targets; 2. an agreed and strict measuring system on energy savings; 3. capacity building aiming to improve implementation and enforcement in MS; and 4. improved financing of energy efficiency in all end use sectors.
• In addition to focusing on energy efficient technologies, policies should also aim at avoiding the unnecessary use of (even very efficient) energy technologies.
• More incentives should be created for consumers and manufacturers to change their ways and save energy. The necessary technologies and ideas are (largely) there, the challenge is putting them into practice.

Download eceee input paper for the new EU Energy Efficiency Action Plan (pdf)

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