Yes, pan-European co-operative procurement works - How to best make use of a promising

Panel: Panel 1: Assessment of Energy Efficiency Policy

Authors:
Anna Engleryd, Swedish National energy Administration
Sophie Attali, International Consulting on Energy

Abstract

Following several successful national experiences, co-operative procurement for increased energy efficiency has for the first time been tested at pan-European level by the Energy+ project targeting refrigerator/freezers. The result is encouraging. A buyer group consisting of about 100 supporting organisations from all over Europe, comprising retailers with over 15 000 retail outlets and institutional buyers with over 1 million dwellings, has succeeded in inciting manufacturers to put Europe's today most energy efficient refrigerator/freezer on the market.

A total of 16 super efficient models using three-quarters and even less of the energy of equivalent appliances meeting the minimum class A requirement on the European energy label have resulted from the project which formally ended in March 2001. Its market transformation effect though, will be seen in the long-term. Besides energy efficiency, manufacturers were also inspired to pursue developments towards lower environmental impact and rise user utility of cold appliances.

As a market transformation instrument, procurement at European scale is believed to constitute a good means for the European Union countries to work together to fulfil their Kyoto commitments. This paper discusses, based upon the outcome and the lessons learned from the Energy+ project, how this tool could be further developed and used in a common European Union energy efficiency strategy. Factors to carefully consider when implementing pan-European procurement activities, like how to make sure that the force of being pan-European is not hampered by lack of flexibility, that the targeted product is correctly chosen, that the specific aims of the different market actors are met, and that the role played by brands and marketing issues is fully understood, is commented upon and solutions suggested.