Policy & Regulation

EU Fit for 55 package: a good fit for companies performing energy management systems and energy audits?

The European Commission circulated a new set of proposals called ‘Fit for 55’ The package will deliver the 2030 climate change targets and coping with the highly popular EU Green Deal. The updated EED will make EU energy efficiency targets binding while ensuring an additional reduction of energy consumption of 9% by 2030 compared to the 2020 scenario. The key points to be highlighted are mainly two:  A new amendment of the EED on Article 8 will require Member States to ensure that SMEs with an average annual consumption higher than 100TJ of energy over the previous three years will implement an energy management system. The new EED would give SMEs and non-SMEs companies the tools to implement proper energy efficiency and environmental management systems to be more efficient, save more energy and be more competitive in the market. And an amendment will require SMEs to carry out an energy audit every four years in a cost-effective manner and with quality checks.

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35 million time bomb: what’s up with the EU Renovation Wave?
Policy & Regulation

35 million time bomb: what’s up with the EU Renovation Wave?

The EU's Renovation Wave aims to renovate 35 million buildings between now and 2030. That means about 3.5 million buildings annually. Adrian Joyce says there is an annual green investment gap of up to €275 billion. But he says.

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How do we get the renovation wave rolling in Germany?
Policy & Regulation

How do we get the renovation wave rolling in Germany?

The European Union announced a major renovation wave last fall. It wants to double the rate of renovation in existing buildings over the next ten years. Efficient new buildings are important, but they contribute little to achieving climate protection targets. If no additional measures.

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Thinking strategically about industrial energy efficiency
Policy & Regulation

Thinking strategically about industrial energy efficiency

Catherine Cooremans and other colleagues in her Multiple Benefits project provide some answers in a short video that lays out the problems and some of the solutions. In the EEFIG survey, there are many suggestions from standardised contracts to better regulations to better sharing.

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Showcasing the need to improve energy performance of industry
Policy & Regulation

Showcasing the need to improve energy performance of industry

European Commission presented its European Green Deal investment Plan. Plan expects to mobilise at least €1 trillion of sustainable investments over the next decade. The strategy includes a dedicated strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

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Europe’s energy-intensive industries coping with covid crisis while trying to stay on sustainable path
Policy & Regulation

Europe’s energy-intensive industries coping with covid crisis while trying to stay on sustainable path

Europes industry has significant challenges today. All Europeans also have to cope with the COVID-19 crisis and with a paralysed economy. There are also discussions within the EU institutions and through various consultations on the recovery package and what that will mean to.

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New JRC report: Untapping multiple benefits: hidden values in environmental and building policies
Policy & Regulation

New JRC report: Untapping multiple benefits: hidden values in environmental and building policies

Findings show that green policies can improve both our health and the economy. Study provides guidance to policy and decision-makers in developing a methodology for the inclusion of multiple benefits in a cost/benefit assessment of energy efficiency policies. It is envisaged that.

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Defining Carbon Neutrality: Not as Simple as It Might Seem
Policy & Regulation

Defining Carbon Neutrality: Not as Simple as It Might Seem

Carbon-dioxide (CO2) accumulates in the atmosphere through natural and anthropogenic processes. In the atmosphere, CO2 absorbs heat and thus causes the atmosphere to heat up. Is simply moving towards CO2-neutrality sufficient for att.

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Europe’s steel industry and the need to decarbonise
Policy & Regulation

Europe’s steel industry and the need to decarbonise

Europes steel industry needs a credible plan to go green, says Ben Jones. The costs of decarbonising its operations would cost up to €40bn. Jones raises a question whether consumers will be demanding greener steel and be willing to pay for.

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Investing in improving energy efficiency is industry's chance to be part of the post-pandemic economic recovery
Policy & Regulation

Investing in improving energy efficiency is industry's chance to be part of the post-pandemic economic recovery

The European Commission presented its European Green Deal investment Plan. The plan is to mobilise at least €1 trillion of sustainable investments over the next decade. In March 2020, the Commission also published its industrial strategy. It aims to reduce red tape .

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