Letters addressed to the Heads of State ahead of the EU Summit March 2014
European Summit Meeting, 20th and 21st March 2014:
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE EU 2030 CLIMATE AND ENERGY POLICY
Read the letter sent to YOUR Head of State:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
Renovate Europe calls on future MEPS to "STOP Energy Waste in Buildings"
On 12th March, the Renovate Europe Campaign published its European Elections Manifesto calling on candidate MEPs to sign a Pledge to “STOP Energy Waste in Buildings”. The Campaign will undertake 3 Days of Action in the European Parliament on 1st, 2nd, 3rd April 2014 in Brussels.
“Stopping energy waste in buildings is becoming a top priority for citizens, as households face increasingly high energy bills”, explained MEP Fiona Hall (UK, ALDE), an early supporter of the Manifesto. “This is a real opportunity for candidate MEPs to address their national constituencies on a topic that really speaks to them and affects them on a daily basis, and where they understand that the EU plays a fundamental role.”
MEP Anne Delvaux (BE, EPP), another early supporter of the Renovate Europe Manifesto and CoRapporteur of the EP’s Report on the 2030 Energy and Climate Framework, emphasised the strong rationale of signing such a pledge: “In the European elections, voters will look for candidates to fight for solutions that boost jobs and growth in the immediate future, but that also fit into a long-term strategy to achieve a competitive sustainable low-carbon economy in the EU. Pledging to STOP Energy Waste in Buildings makes clear political sense”.
32 partners drawn from across the construction value chain have gathered behind the Renovate Europe Manifesto for the 2014 European Elections.
“This is a cross-sectoral, cross-national, cross-party call to action”, explained Adrian Joyce, Director of Renovate Europe, “Stopping energy waste in buildings delivers numerous multiple benefits, for the economy, for businesses, for the environment and for citizens’ wellbeing and quality of life and therefore defies the traditional party-lines, sectoral groups and national borders.”
Renovate Europe is working in close cooperation with its national Supporting Partners to maximise the impact of this Manifesto at the national and local level in the run-up to the elections in May. The REC Manifesto is translated into French, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Greek, and includes National Inserts explaining the national relevance for Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Poland, the UK and the Czech Republic.
Renovate Europe will be holding 3 Days of Action in the European Parliament on 1-2-3 April in Brussels for MEPs to sign the Pledge.
Letters addressed to Managing Authorities in the Member States
Structural Funds 2014-2020: New Opportunities for Building Renovations
Renovate Europe reaches out to the Managing Authorities in the Member States to raise awareness about the new opportunities to fund Energy Renovations of the Building Stock.
AWARENESS RAISING LEAFLET
PRACTICAL GUIDE
Interested in Designing a Multi-Fund Operational Programme for the Renovation of your Building Stock?
LETTERS TO THE MANAGING AUTHORITIES
To acccompany the Practical Guide, Renovate Europe addressed Letters to the Managing Authorities in several of the National Languages.
Download the Letters to the Managing Authorities
Six months until the deadline: let’s seize the opportunity and boost renovation activity!
The Energy Efficiency Directive requires every EU country to establish a long-term strategy for mobilising investment in the energy efficient renovation of their building stock, by 30 April 2014. 1
With just six months remaining to deliver national renovation strategies that could help ensure investment in European jobs and growth, and help deliver lower energy bills for struggling European citizens, our organisations urge national governments to:
1) Build lasting partnerships with industry, academia, financial institutions, NGOs and other actors. Establish strategies that genuinely engage national stakeholders and those who must deliver on the ground.
Strong, inclusive and collaborative platforms must form between the public and private sector, to design and deliver national renovation strategies. Countries like Denmark with its ‘Network for Energy Retrofit’2 are leading the way, utilising the rich expertise of the stakeholder community and ensuring that a shared long-term vision is built.
2) Develop ambitious strategies supported by clear milestone aims; the technology exists and industry is ready to deliver, but long-term certainty is needed for the market.
Ambition to scale-up both the rate and depth of renovation works and deeply renovate our building stock is required if the EU is to meet its long-term energy and climate goals.3 In this respect, long-term certainty for investors, industry, professionals and consumers, supported by clear targets and milestones, is a prerequisite to delivering this ambition. This is precisely what national renovation strategies must deliver.
3) Integrate societal benefits: national strategies are tools to enable our economies to reap the multiple economic, social and environmental benefits of energy efficient renovations.
Renovate Europe’s ‘Multiple Benefits of Investing in Energy Efficient Renovations’ report demonstrates that energy efficient renovation has the potential to create up to two million jobs and kick start the European economy, save the equivalent of 4 billion barrels of oil imports per year, reduce energy bills and CO2 emissions and increase comfort and well-being. Countries must ensure they have quantified and understood the potential benefits through cost-benefit analysis, so they can ensure these are delivered to their citizens and businesses.
Governments around Europe cannot afford to miss the chance to improve their economies and the lives of those who live, learn and work in Europe’s buildings. Let’s seize this opportunity!
1 EU Energy Efficiency Directive, Article 4
2 ‘Network for Energy Retrofit’ case study, from ‘A New Era in Building Partnerships’, World Green Building Council
3 ‘Renovation Tracks for Europe up to 2050’, EURIMA
President Van Rompuy supports Energy Efficient Renovations at REDay2013
"Energy Efficiency is the highest impact measure governments can take to save energy. And buildings represent the greatest potential sector for energy savings in the European Union", says President Van Rompuy.
Organised by the Renovate Europe Campaign, in partnership with the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU, REDay 2013 took place yesterday, 9th October in Brussels. As Member States prepare to draw up their National Renovation Roadmaps for April 2014 (EED requirement), this third edition of RE Day tackled the opportunities for designing Ambitious Renovation Roadmaps, and the challenges of unlocking the needed financing.
President Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, called on the 28 Member States to seize the huge energy saving and economic opportunities energy efficiency in buildings represents:
“Energy efficiency in buildings is not a cost, but an investment with a great rate of return”, President Van Rompuy explained in his video address. “Undertaking ambitious renovation of the existing building stock can have very significant social, economic and environmental benefits”.
President Van Rompuy acknowledged the Campaign’s leading role in bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to help to tap into the vast energy savings of Europe’s buildings: “Because we want to succeed, Member States, but also local authorities, the financing community and industry have to engage – that’s your wish, and also mine for the years to come”
Lithuanian Environment Vice-Minister, Daiva Matoniene, whose country currently holds the Presidency of the EU, supported President Van Rompuy in her strong words:
“The responsibility is on each of us in our Member States to design ambitious Renovation Roadmaps in order to unlock the vast potential in the EU’s building stock”, said Vice-Minister Matoniene. “The deep renovation of the building stock in Lithuania is a top priority in our country, not only because of the huge energy savings potential, but also for the positive impact on people’s health, on the country’s energy independence, and on the State’s public finances”.
In addition to a series of high-level speakers who debated the opportunities for Designing Ambitious Renovation Roadmaps, representatives from across the Financial Sector (EIB, UNEP Finance Initiative, Hermes Real Estate) provided strong insight into how to unlock both public and private financing for energy efficiency in buildings.
Structural Funds Leaflet - Can you spot the difference?
In a period of economic crisis when money is not readily available, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Cohesion Fund and European Social Fund represent a golden opportunity to access financing. Make sure you invest these Funds in sectors of huge potential, which will trigger private investment and generate high returns.
The energy efficient renovation of buildings represents a sector with a high economic potential that remains largely untapped because of a lack of upfront financing. Do not miss this opportunity to bridge the gap between potential and actual investment!