In a presentation at the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s 2013 Summer Study, Richard Cowart, European programmes director, highlighted global best practices in designing and achieving energy savings targets similar to those in the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive. He emphasized the importance of establishing clear obligations, a stable source of revenue, and effective measurement and verification with appropriate regulatory oversight. These policy mechanisms will be especially important if member states are to reach their goal of 20% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020.