Europe is heavily reliant on fossil fuels in the heating sector. The EU has set itself a goal of deploying 30 million additional heat pumps by 2030. To advance the transition away from fossil fuels in the heating sector, the EU and its Member States have recently proposed or agreed on several heat-related policies. This includes an emissions trading scheme for gr...

As part of the Fit for 55 legislative package, the European Commission proposed a recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive in July 2021. The recast includes significant changes to the Directive’s cornerstone article on the energy savings obligation, Article 7 (now Article 8). As a next step, EU legislators – the European Parliament and the Council of the EU ...

The European Union is entering a crucial decade in its energy transition, with the 55% climate goal representing a step change in ambition. Energy efficiency is expected to play a major role in achieving necessary reductions in energy consumption across buildings, transport and industry. Enacting the Energy Efficiency First principle will require reliable data on...

Heat in buildings is still largely delivered by burning fossil fuels. To meet Europe’s 2030 climate target, the European Commission assesses the buildings sector must reduce emissions by 60% over 2015, and close to one in four heating systems will need to be replaced. How do we ensure that these systems are replaced with decarbonised alternatives? Two centra...

To meet the European Union’s carbon goal of reducing emissions by at least 55% net from 1990 levels, the European Commission wants the buildings sector to take the lead. The EU’s Climate Plan Impact Assessment sees building renovations and sustainable renewable heating system replacements cutting carbon emissions in the sector by 60% by 2030. At the same time...

Meeting the European Commission’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings by at least 55% by 2030 will require renovating buildings at previously unheard of rates and depth. This goal opens up vast opportunities for citizens, national economies and progress towards climate goals, but also issues a formidable challenge. To date, most Member St...

In its 2030 Climate Target plan, the European Commission suggests raising the ambition of the EU’s energy efficiency policies to reach climate neutrality by 2050. It mentions the possibility of increasing the energy savings obligations under Article 7 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). This paper provides a rationale for increasing the contribution of...

The European Union has committed to a net-zero economy by 2050. To get there, it must decarbonise the building stock, which accounts for 36% of EU carbon emissions. The current rate of renovation, however, is only one-third of that needed. Even the improvements that are being undertaken are delivering meagre savings of 9% to 17% primary energy. Europe therefore n...

The European Union has committed to a net-zero economy by 2050. To get there, it must decarbonise the building stock, which accounts for 36% of EU carbon emissions. The current rate of renovation, however, is only one-third of that needed. Even the improvements that are being undertaken are delivering meagre savings of 9% to 17% primary energy. Europe therefore n...

Announced as part of the European Green Deal, the EU strategy for energy system integration aims to better link the different energy sectors in the EU — electricity, gas, buildings, transport, industry — to help them reduce carbon emissions. In May 2020, RAP provided a contribution to the European Commission ahead of the publication of the strategy on 8 Ju...