Letter to Mr. Juncker, President of the European Commission and Mr. Šefčovič, Vice-President The Energy Union – Spotlight on energy renovation of buildings

Brussels, 30 January 2015
To President Jean-Claude Juncker and Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission

Re: The Energy Union – Spotlight on energy renovation of buildings

Dear President Juncker,
Dear Vice-President Šefčovič,

We write to you ahead of the important debate of the College of Commissioners on the Energy Union in order to urge you to build the future over-arching framework of our energy policy on solid ground, thus to firmly place actions to stop the huge energy waste in our existing building stock at the core of the concept.

Energy efficiency is our single greatest indigenous source of energy, as pointed out by the International Energy Agency¹ and the sector with the highest untapped potential to deliver that energy is our existing buildings. This clean, inexpensive source of energy can be exploited anywhere across the EU with available technologies and with less time than it takes to decide on new energy supply options.

Furthermore, when sourcing energy through ambitious energy efficiency improvements of our building stock, significant, established multiple benefits^2,3,4 arise for jobs, economic growth, public finances, comfort, improved health⁵, well-being and productivity. By setting up an ambitious energy renovation plan for our buildings, the energy consumption of the sector could be reduced by as much as 54% by 2030 and its dependence on imported gas cut by as much as 61%. At the same time, an average of 19 new, local, direct jobs can be created⁶ for every €1 million invested.

For these reasons we urge you to ensure that the Energy Union delivers a forward-looking framework that is supportive of the EU goals for jobs, growth and competitiveness and that it answers the request from Member States to prioritise action on energy efficiency in key sectors. Citizens expect the EU to take the initiative on better regulation that delivers big results on big issues and that improves their lives. Action on the leaky, wasteful buildings of the EU delivers all of this in one policy decision.

The time is right to make ambitious energy renovation a big EU policy and financing priority and therefore the Energy Union should provide the signal that a coherent policy framework needs to be developed to ensure that this is realised. This goes together with preparing for an ambitious review of building related legislative tools, e.g. empowering the renovation strategies of Article 4 of the Energy Efficiency Directive as ready to implement strategies for renovating national building stocks.

This also calls for coordination between the various EU initiatives that will have an impact on growth and jobs. For example the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) must also prioritise ambitious energy renovation of our buildings e.g. through ring-fencing dedicated funds for energy efficiency and thus support the EU Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 in its capacity to unlock private capital by de-risking investment in energy efficiency.

Not least, the planned governance structure should focus on strengthening the enforcement and implementation of buildings related directives, thus giving Member States and the construction sector a further boost in achieving real, tangible results for the benefit of all.

In closing, I invite you and your services to contact our office in order to further discuss the role that addressing the huge energy waste in our existing buildings can play in lifting the EU to a better economic, social and environmental future.

Yours sincerely,

Adrian Joyce
Renovate Europe Campaign Director