Europeans should change their light bulbs, switch off TV’s and computers, drive ‘green’ cars and insulate their houses to reach the Commission’s ambitious target of 20% energy savings by 2020.
The Energy Efficiency Action Plan will be introduced over a period of six years. More than 75 actions were identified in ten priority areas:
- New energy performance standards for different product groups such as boilers, copiers, TVs, lighting (from 2007);
- new energy standards for buildings and promoting low-energy buildings (“passive houses”) (2008-9);
- making power generation and distribution more efficient (2007-8);
- possible legislation to limit CO2 emissions from cars to 120g/km by 2012 (2007);
- facilitate bank financing for investments in energy efficiency by SMEs and energy service companies (2007-8);
- boosting efficiency in new member states;
- coherent use of taxation with the preparation of a Green Paper on indirect taxation in 2007;
- awareness and education campaigns;
- improving energy efficiency in urban areas through a “Covenant of Mayors” (to be created in 2007) which will exchange best practices, and;
- international agreements to foster energy efficiency worldwide.
It is questionable whether all these actions to improve energy efficiency will also reduce energy consumption (see EURACTIV 18 October).