Renovate Europe Day 2017 took place in the European Parliament, with a keynote from EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete, the EPBD Rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs, and an award for the 100th MEP to sign the Renovate Europe Manifesto, followed by visits to two exemplary renovation projects in Brussels.
Press release: Cañete says Paris objectives could be threatened by efficiency “flexibilities”
The EU’s Energy and Climate Commissioner has said that “flexibilities” in the European Parliament’s revised energy efficiency laws could threaten the roll-out of building renovations, which will be key to delivering the EU’s Paris commitments.
Speaking at Renovate Europe Day 2017 in the European Parliament, Miguel Arias Cañete said that the vote on the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was “essential” for Member States. But “the [European Council’s] level of ambition falls considerably short of the European Commission on a number of points”.
He continued: “Buildings will unquestionably play a major role in delivering on our Paris commitments, and ultimately achieving a carbon neutral economy [but] we will not achieve our objectives without renovating our building stock.”
The vote in Parliament’s Industry Committee could allow houses powered by solar panels or wind turbines to be classified as more energy efficient than others, even if they are unrenovated, badly insulated and leak heat. That would defeat the whole purpose of the renovations directive, according to energy efficiency experts.
MEP Bendt Bendtsen, Rapporteur on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, said: “We all agree that boosting renovations is the main ambition with the revision. To achieve this, we agree – across the political board in Parliament – that Member States must prove they will deliver on their responsibilities.” Bendtsen added: “We find this a reasonable expectation to have of Member States, if they are serious about enabling renovations and thereby assisting a better performing building stock to emerge.”
After the vote, two trilogues between the Parliament, Council and Commission were scheduled to negotiate the final revised directive, on 7 November and 5 December.
Where the Energy Efficiency Directive is concerned, loopholes in the annual 1.5% energy savings requirement would directly affect the EU’s ability to deliver on its climate promises, according to Cañete, the EU’s lead representative at the COP23 climate summit in Bonn the following month.
The obligation was “a core provision, as we achieve half of the directive’s savings this way,” Cañete said. “This is the engine behind the much needed increase in building renovation.”
“But the flexibility that Member States have insisted on means that this energy savings figure will be half in practice. Here again, we need the European Parliament to maintain the level of ambition, not just in terms of climate numbers but also in terms of the flexibility provided.”
Commissioner Cañete’s keynote speech
Agenda
Morning conference
10:00
Opening session
Introduction: Adrian Joyce, Director of the Renovate Europe Campaign (watch)
Welcoming remarks: Karlis Goldstein, Energy Councillor in the Estonian EU Presidency (watch)
Introductory comments: Bendt Bendtsen MEP (EPP, Denmark), Rapporteur on the EPBD (watch)
Keynote: energy renovation improves quality of life and wellbeing for EU citizens – Miguel Arias Cañete, EU Commissioner for Climate Action & Energy (watch)
10:30
Session I
Moderator: Fiona Riddoch, Energy and Policy Consultant
Tackling fuel poverty through healthy buildings: Miapetra Kumpula-Natri MEP (S&D, Finland), Shadow Rapporteur on the EPBD (watch)
The multiple benefits of energy renovation: Morten Petersen MEP (ALDE, Denmark), Shadow Rapporteur on the EPBD
The societal and economic benefits of more ambitious legislation for energy renovation: Phil Summerton, Managing Director of Cambridge Econometrics (watch)
Response to questions from the audience and Twitter
11:05
Session II
Moderator: Fiona Riddoch, Energy and Policy Consultant
Energy renovation tools to encourage citizens to act: Dario Tamburrano MEP (EFDD, Italy), Shadow Rapporteur on the EPBD (watch)
The role of cities and local action to boost energy renovation: Florent Marcellesi MEP (Greens/EFA, Spain), Shadow Rapporteur on the EPBD (watch)
Making an offer that can’t be refused: Peter Rathje, REFURB Compelling Offer Coordinator (watch)
Response to questions from the audience and Twitter
11:40
Future outlook
What opportunities from version 2.0 of the Renovation Strategies? Oliver Rapf, Executive Director of BPIE (watch)
Conclusions: what building stock by 2050? Adrian Joyce, Director of the Renovate Europe Campaign
Documents
11 October 2017
Renovate Europe Day 2017
All the speeches
Photos from the morning conference
Networking lunch and award ceremony
During the networking lunch in the ASP Bar of the European Parliament, MEP Maria Grapini (S&D, Romania) was awarded the trophy and golden helmet for being the 100th MEP to sign the Renovate Europe Manifesto to STOP Energy Waste in Buildings.
There were various photo opportunities during the lunch as well.
Site visits
In the afternoon, site visits to two renovation projects in Brussels were organised in partnership with Bruxelles Environnement.
Be.exemplary building: VUB swimming pool
High energy performance retrofit of the swimming pool of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, with specific attention to sustainability and the circular economy. More information.
Exemplary building: Linné
Passive renovation of a residential tower and an annex building to create 50 public housing units, with a new crèche for 36 children and a public park between the two buildings. More information (PDF, in French).
Photos from the site visits
Highlights video
National and associated events
Renovate Europe has national partners in 14 Member States. Two of them organised REDay2017 national events, in Belgium and Croatia.
The REFURB conference on 10 October 2017 in Brussels was an associated event of REDay2017.
Posters in the Brussels metro
Sponsors
