Curbing energy waste in buildings must drive new energy efficiency proposals

The European Commission’s ‘winter package’ of energy proposals, due before the end of 2016, will be multi-faceted and wide-ranging, but Knauf Insulation only wants one thing — an ambitious commitment to tackling energy waste in buildings.

“Europe must put energy efficiency at the heart of any future decisions on our energy system and that means a historic commitment to stopping energy waste and improving Europe’s buildings this December,” said Sîan Hughes, Director of External Affairs for Knauf Insulation

Speaking on the occasion of Renovate Europe Day, Sîan stressed that an ambitious Europe-wide building renovation programme would have a positive impact on Europeans for generations to come.

“Buildings account for 40% of Europe’s energy use and 36% of its emissions. A genuinely visionary Europe-wide renovation programme will cut energy use and honour international climate commitments and, perhaps more importantly, create millions of jobs and drastically improve livings standards for millions of Europeans” she said.

If energy efficiency is given the priority it deserves, the Commission’s energy proposals are an historic opportunity to give something positive to everyone across Europe, said Sîan.

“2016 has been the year the UK took the decision to leave the EU. 2017 will be the year national elections reshape Europe’s political landscape.  More than ever Europe’s leaders will need a positive story to win back hearts and minds and show that the European Union is doing something positive for everyone. Where better to start than a commitment to make our buildings better…”

How Knauf Insulation views a new energy landscape for Europe can be downloaded here.

Key facts:

• Europe has signed the Paris Climate Agreement to keep global temperature increases under 20C. To achieve this two-thirds of Europe’s low carbon energy infrastructure to 2040 needs to be in energy efficiency, says the International Energy Agency.

• A 50% reduction in energy use in European building stock would by itself cut Europe’s total CO2 emissions in half by 2030

• Buildings consume 40% of Europe’s energy and 75% of these buildings were built with no minimal energy-related requirements. By 2050 at least 75% will continue to remain in use.

• In 2012 more than €421 billion was spent on Europe’s energy imports. European Commission research found that gas imports would be slashed by 2.6% for every additional 1% in energy savings.