Tag: energy savings

The European Commission traded fire with energy savings campaigners yesterday (28 May) over the EU's chances of meeting its goal of cutting power use 20% by 2020, as both sides read different runes from energy projections submitted by member states last month.

Short-term economic concerns appear to have edged the environment out of the picture ahead of next week’s EU summit dedicated to energy issues, writes Brook Riley.

Banking officials at a conference in New York City have reportedly admitted that despite their statements about the importance of energy savings, they are reluctant to lend money in practice.

MEPs will vote tomorrow (28 February) on proposals for binding energy efficiency standards for computers and servers, but clean energy groups say that without more ambitious targets the whole exercise could be a "waste of time".

Germany, Austria and Finland have called for the withdrawal of an “absurd and unjustified” gentleman's agreement that allowed the United Kingdom to sign up to the Energy Efficiency Directive. The plea was made in a letter, seen by EurActiv, to Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger.

The European Union put down the last piece of the bloc's 2020 climate and energy policy puzzle by adopting an Energy Efficiency Directive. The directive is a game-changer for energy companies, which are now required to achieve 1.5% energy savings every year among their final clients. The EU law is also expected to trigger the largest revamp of Europe's existing building stock to date and set new standards for public procurement and energy audits.

Ireland will have to double its efforts in making dwellings more energy-efficient or it will have to pay fines to the European Commission for not complying with the EU's newly adopted Energy Efficiency Directive, a new study shows.

Green campaigners angered by UK's opposition to a binding target in the Energy Efficiency Directive. The energy and climate change secretary, Ed Davey, defended the UK's role in EED negotiations.

Fatih Birol, the chief economist of the International Energy Agency, has warned EU countries about the "absurd" strategies they use to subsidise fossil fuels. In an exclusive interview with EurActiv, he urged EU leaders to make the Energy Efficiency Directive, currently in its final negotiation stage, “a must”.

European energy companies want the negotiations on the Energy Efficiency Directive, deemed as the EU’s main tool to achieve the bloc's promised 20% energy cuts by 2020, to wrap up in the coming weeks.

Consumers will not be able to cut their energy consumption unless the energy efficiency directive creates a framework for smart meter feedback, accurate bills and information campaigns, argues Monique Goyens, Director General of The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC). 

The draft energy efficiency directive, initially billed as the most important energy savings law to date, is being held back by the "vested interests" of large energy companies with very close ties to member states, EU sources have said.

Member states have watered down the draft Energy Efficiency Directive so much that only 38% of the initial savings proposed by the European Commission can now be achieved, according to a “non-paper” by the EU Executive seen by EurActiv.

If European citizens are unaware of their energy consumption levels, they will be unable to reduce their energy use, argues John Harris.

European energy retailers resisting a mandatory 1.5% annual efficiency target prefer to find their own way to improve productivity – through higher electricity prices or subsidies from the public sector - EurActiv heard at an industry conference.

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is the single most effective way to meet the EU’s energy savings goals, argues Oliver Rapf of the Buildings Performance Institute Europe.

The European Parliament's environment committee has thrown its weight behind binding energy efficiency targets for member states in a vote held yesterday (20 December). However, there it little chance that these will survive in later versions of the draft energy efficiency directive, EurActiv was told.

EU energy ministers reiterated their opposition to binding energy savings targets at a meeting yesterday (24 November), leaving a political agreement for the incoming Danish presidency in the first half of 2012, EurActiv has learned.

The European Commission's top energy official has criticised EU member sates for holding a double language on the bloc's target to cut energy use by 20% by the end of the decade.