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Public subsidies for new gas boilers are wrecking the climate

(META News Channel EEB, 14 Jan 2021) Gas boilers undermine the European Union’s 2030 climate goals. So why do the majority of EU governments continue to subsidise their installation in our homes?

Households in at least 19 of the EU’s 27 member states still receive state support ranging from €300 to €2,500 to buy and install new gas boilers, according to the latest analysis by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) on behalf of the Coolproducts campaign.

The study finds that this type of fossil fuel subsidies – including tax reductions, loans and grants – are in most cases misleadingly planned as part of climate action measures.

Only seven countries in the EU have so far stopped the flood of public money going into fossil fuel heating. These include Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and the Netherlands. Outside of the EU in Europe, they are joined by Norway.

Greece, Italy, Poland and some Austrian regions ranked amongst the worst in Europe – mostly due to their governments’ decision to continue subsidising oil and LPG boilers as well.

Make polluters pay

State support for fossil fuel heating systems is slowing down the uptake of truly sustainable solutions, Coolproducts campaigners warned. According to the latest Eurostat data, the share of geothermal, solar and other renewable sources of energy used for heating and cooling was a mere 6% of the sector’s final energy consumption.

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META News Channel EEB, 14 Jan 2021: Public subsidies for new gas boilers are wrecking the climate