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Reducing the amount of energy we use is a key part of cutting emissions by 2050, but asking people to be more frugal could be challenging in a society that prizes consumption. Getting incentives right can shift attitudes
Regulators looking to achieve climate goals through energy efficiency could be facing a tough challenge
SIMPLE TASK Using less energy is something most of us can do—and it provides a benefit in terms of lower costs
TOUGH CHOICES In practice, getting people to adopt energy efficiency measures is hard and incentives need to take that into account
KEY QUOTE We need to fundamentally own the fact that we built loads of shit houses and a large proportion of them are going to have to come down ...
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The introduction of a carbon price in the building sector will only encourage fuel switching and burden those least able to pay with the cost of decarbonisation. If implemented, it should be complemented with legislation to boost energy efficiency, says Monica Frassoni of the European Alliance to Save Energy
Upgraded emission reduction goals are important. But crucially tools and policies decide whether the wind sector can unlock its full potential, says WindEurope’s Giles Dickson
The European Union wants to reduce reliance on Russian energy imports. For this to work, a pan-EU Taskforce with the sole purpose of improving energy efficiency in buildings must be established, says Adrian Joyce of Renovate Europe
The European Union’s “Energy Efficiency First Principle” was designed to maximise the potential of energy sources and increase investor appetite but it has struggled to jump from principle to practice. But new rules and a shift in geopolitics look set to propel the efficiency maxim to top billing
Put garbage into an economic model and garbage comes out. By using a discount rate that inflates the cost of the energy transition, the EU’s executive body is undermining the bloc’s new and more ambitious carbon reduction goal. Behind the scenes, however, method may lie in the madness. Officials working on legislative updates are suspected of holding a negotiating trump card up their sleeves
Two of the European Union’s (EU) main energy laws are in the process of being updated. Despite the fundamental role they play in decarbonisation efforts, the rules have so far failed to live up to climate expectations. This is set to change
The European Commission’s Renovation Wave strategy will bring added momentum to the pandemic recovery along with much-needed new standards, and some clarity on financing. On REDay2020, Adrian Joyce from the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency (EuroACE) says the real work to improve the efficiency of Europe’s building stock starts now
Energy Cities, a European association of local authorities, estimates a city will need between €1 billion and €3 billion to reach net zero emissions by 2050
Once regarded as a high risk gamble, buying green electricity directly from generators under a mutually agreed power purchase agreement (PPA) has become big business in the commercial and industrial sector. City authorities eager to cut their electricity bills and buy renewable are looking to get into the market. The new demand is set to drive big growth in renewables
Cities are feeling the heat more than outlying areas. The increased use of vegetation, reflective surfaces, building codes promoting ambitious energy efficiency standards and district cooling are being employed to provide heat relief and facilitate sustainable cooling for urban dwellers
The energy transition is not simply a matter of replacing fossil fuels with zero-carbon alternatives. It will also be marked by a radical change in our relationship with energy and the spread of technologies like heat pumps and electric vehicles that can yield significant efficiency gains even before traditional energy savings measures come into play
