A new report has highlighted opportunities for European policy makers to combine environmental and social benefits when they agree Europe’s energy policy priorities up until 2030. The report notes how European policy makers must respond to concerns about affordability by putting low-income households at the heart of Europe’s energy future without sacrificing environmental imperatives. The report also notes the risk that without deliberate interventions poorer households will continue to benefit least from Europe’s energy policies and the EU must aim to uphold the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

Jean Lambert MEP, a Green Party Member of the European Parliament comments:

“Our leaky homes make us ill and make every energy bill frightening for so many people. This means we use far more energy than we need to. Yet, the EU Commission has not proposed setting an ambitious binding target on energy saving. The report calls for Europe’s leader to take charge and set a binding 40% target for energy saving for 2030 as well as introducing targeted steps to protect low-income energy consumers in the future. The report also highlights that opportunities to secure these outcomes are immediate and pursuing a more deliberate and coordinated approach offers long-lasting benefits. However, there are significant and growing costs to inaction and beyond positive rhetoric, the EU Commission, EU Parliament and Council Leaders must take action now to address a growing ‘Energy Divide’”.

The report’s author, Peter Smith, from charity National Energy Action (NEA) comments:

“The report investigates the EU’s current energy legislative framework and explores how it can be improved for low-income consumers. We also explore why energy policies in general can exacerbate hardship. It is argued that the current approach to energy policy across Europe contributes to an ‘energy divide,’ where poorer households may benefit least from energy policies whilst paying a higher share of the costs, despite emitting the least carbon emissions. For example, Member States provide significant tax and levy exemptions for some of the most energy intensive industries which substantially reduce the costs heavy polluters have to pay. This leaves the poorest paying proportionately more for these polices. This practice is growing and the EU must aim to uphold the ‘polluter pays’ principle and check a recent trend for policies to be paid disproportionately by domestic consumers, including the most vulnerable”.

Andrew Cooper, the Green Party’s national Spokesperson on the Environment, commented:

“We believe we can reduce the ‘energy divide’ that exists within many Member States and help address the social consequences of higher energy bills as Europe continues its sustainable long-term energy transition. Through an enhanced legislative framework, we can inspire a step change in local delivery and capture all the benefits of this enhanced approach. The report provides a legislative blueprint that could, if acted upon, put low-income households at the heart of Europe’s energy future”.

The new report follows recent findings from organisations like the International Energy Agency (IEA) which have highlighted that improving energy efficiency measures could, in a high energy efficiency scenario, save the European Union’s economy as much as EUR 190 billion, annually as well as dramatically enhancing health and well-being, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with pre-existing illnesses. This position has also been reinforced by research by the Fraunhofer Institute showing that that the EU has a 41% cost-effective end-use energy savings potential for 2030 and if achieved this could lower net energy costs for households and industry by over €239 billion annually by 2030.

ENDS

Editors Notes

1. The Green Group in the European Parliament commissioned the fuel poverty charity, National Energy Action (NEA), in an impartial capacity to investigate how to put low-income households at the heart of Europe’s energy future. It is hoped that the outputs of this work will support bold and new European wide commitments.

2. The report will be made available at the following location at 9.30 Friday 24th October 2014: http://www.nea.org.uk/policy-and-research/publications/2014.

3. Jean Lambert MEP has been a Green Party Member of the European Parliament since 1999. She was re-elected in 2009 and 2014. For more information visit: http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/

4. The report’s recommendations are:

– The EU must introduce a 40% target for energy saving by 2030.

– There is a need to secure a common understanding of ‘energy poverty’ at an EU level.

– Member States should increase the promotion and accessibility of programmes to help low-income households replace less efficient appliances.

– DG Energy (ENER) must actively review the specific attempts made by Member States to reduce the extent and depth of energy poverty within National Energy Efficiency Actions Plans.

– Existing EU legislative safeguards are welcome but are failing to provide adequate support for low-income households. The European Parliament must insist that 50% of the energy efficiency activity (or greater) must be targeted at these groups if the Member State chooses to fund their energy efficiency obligation policies through a levy which is paid for by domestic energy consumers. Member States should also submit a detailed analysis to the Commission illustrating how they have investigated alternative revenues, particularly illustrating how they have considered the use of revenues from auctioning Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) permits or additional carbon taxes

– There is significant opportunity to supplement adjustments to the current legislative framework with a call for binding EU-wide minimum energy efficiency standards for low-income households alongside the emerging 2030 energy targets.

– A new EU fund should be established to finance low-cost energy efficiency measures within low-income households and seek to be a major EU-wide job stimulus, supporting low-skilled workers and fostering collaborative action between DG Energy, DG Health and Consumers and the DG Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

– The EU must aim to uphold the ‘polluter pays’ principle within Member States and seek to check a recent trend for ameliorative policies for heavy industry to be paid for at the expense of domestic consumers, including the most vulnerable.

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In a message for Earth Day, which was marked by events across the globe yesterday, she said energy efficiency and conservation measures were key to cutting London’s greenhouse gas emissions – and lowering energy bills.
Earth Day, marked by the UN each year on April 22, this year took as its focus ‘green cities’.

The UN estimates more than half of the world’s population lives in cities – and has called for a ‘transition’ towards renewable energy generation and investment in energy efficiency in urban areas.

Ms Lambert said: “Almost a decade ago I wrote a report looking in detail at how energy-inefficient London’s homes were – and the contribution that made to high energy bills and climate change.

“Without a concerted focus on sustainability in housing by the Mayor of London, little has changed.

“London still has some of the most inefficient housing in the UK – and we’ll have to invest in insulation and energy conservation if we are going to become the sustainable, healthy city Londoners need.

“Instead, we have a Mayor and a Government who are more concerned with weakening the laws protecting Londoners from the exhaust fumes and polluted air that’s killing 4,000 Londoners early every year and allowing fracking in South and South-East London.

“But London, like all the world’s great cities, will have to evolve as energy becomes more expensive and climate change worsens.

“As well as lowering our household energy bills, public investment in energy conservation could create thousands of much-needed jobs in London’s construction sector.”

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The updated legislation on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) fails to make them compulsory for shale gas extraction projects and exploration involving fracking.

Greens voted against the revised rules which could see more fracking projects being bulldozed through without a basic standard of assessment of their impact and public participation in the process, as required by EIAs.

Lambert, the Green MEP for London said: “These new rules are a missed opportunity. They do not go far enough to protect the public from the risks of fracking, and will not halt the speedy dash for shale gas by many governments across Europe.

“Greens believe there is enough evidence to ban fracking in Europe, as they have done in France or Bulgaria, but making an environmental impact assessment compulsory should be the absolute minimum standard expected.

“The objections to fracking cannot be simply ignored. There’s the risk of toxic chemicals contaminating our water supplies, the air pollution, the effect on our environment of thousands of wells, the huge quantities of water consumed, and the climate change impact of our continued reliance on dirty gas.

“It beggars belief that there is a threat of fracking sites popping up across London, with the government already granting licenses for exploration in Croydon and Lambeth. Mayor Boris Johnson said he would leave ‘no stone unturned, or unfracked’ if reserves of shale gas are found in our most densely populated city. The Mayor should instead be throwing his weight behind energy efficient housing and renewables which would benefit communities, not big businesses.

“We need to halt fracking and properly assess the risks instead of offering bribes to councils to press ahead.

“Fracking is not a quick-fix solution to meet our energy needs. The best solution is for shale gas to stay in the ground, and for forward thinking governments to invest in clean green energy.”

NOTES

More on the legislation here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A7-2013-0277&language=EN

Boris Johnson’s comments: http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/07/fracking-london-it%E2%80%99s-not-as-mad-as-it-sounds

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The decision undermines proposals for a weaker climate change regime for the next 15 years proposed by the European Commission – reportedly at the behest of the UK and Polish governments – just last month.

They have decided to set higher targets to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions, to require all EU members to increase the amount of electricity they generate from renewable sources – and to require targets for energy efficiency measures too.

The Greens voted to adopt the strategy, despite the targets falling short of what they wanted and a bid to ban fracking being rejected by other MEPs, in order to give their strong backing to the demand of setting binding targets – an approach rejected by the European Commission in January – in the first place.

London’s Green MEP Jean Lambert said the decision represented massive progress on the proposals published in January.

“I am delighted MEPs have come together to reiterate the importance of taking concerted EU action on tackling climate change – and requiring all member states to meet strict on energy efficiency and renewable energy generation as well as overall emissions reduction.

“Such targets are absolutely essential if we are to move towards limiting global warming to 2°C, as required to stave off climate change’s most devastating impacts.

“Of course, we’d have liked them to be higher: Greens proposed binding targets of reducing total emissions by at least 60%, generating 45% of our energy from renewable sources, and cutting demand for electricity by 40% by 2030.”

MEPs eventually agreed to set targets of 40% and 30% for reducing emissions and switching to renewables, as well as voting to accept the Greens’ proposal for a 40% cut in energy demand by 2030.

Ms Lambert added: “I am particularly pleased that MEPs agreed to our proposed target for energy efficiency measures, as it is this which will deliver most jobs and cut fuel bills while tackling climate change: a real win-win-win.

“Of course I am disappointed that we couldn’t get the support we needed for an EU ban on fracking, although MEPs have agreed that all exploration and drilling requests should be subject to a full community consultation – that there should be no secret fracking under peoples homes without permission, as proposed by the UK Government this week.”

Greens also successfully proposed changes to the EU’s Emissions Trading System to make it better able to force firms to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

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The European Commission has today published proposals setting out how the EU will tackle climate change between now and 2030.

Specifically, they must also include a target on improving energy efficiency, said Ms Lambert – and they should be higher.

“The EU should offer real leadership on tackling climate change,” she said.

“Climate Change is a truly global problem, and we need to tackle it fairly. It is the developed world which has caused the lion’s share of the emissions which are already causing devastating climate change – and poorer developing countries that are paying the heaviest price.

“The EU needs to be much more ambitious. I welcome the fact that these proposals include targets on reducing CO2 emissions – and increasing the amount of our electricity we generate from renewable sources, but at 40% and 27% respectively these targets just aren’t high enough.

“Greens believe we need to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 60% by 2030 – and to do that we’ll need to generate at least 45% of our electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar and tidal. Even MEPs in general have been more ambitious than the Commission.

“The strategy also calls for progress on improving energy efficiency by as much as a quarter but stops short of setting a target that would require Member State governments to actually do so – and that’s deeply disappointing.

“Increasing energy efficiency by requiring EU governments to improve insulation in the EU’s crumbling housing stock is the single measure that would do most to cut domestic energy bills while tackling climate change and creating jobs – but these proposals stop short of requiring that.

“This strategy really matters – not just because it will dictate action here in the EU but also because it will be the bedrock of the EU’s negotiating position at next year’s crucial UN Climate Talks in Paris, and could therefore end up shaping global climate policy too.

“The proposals will be considered by all MEPs next month – and Greens will continue to work to improve them then.”

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The meeting follows an historic vote in the European Parliament last week, which saw MEPs from across the political spectrum agree to stronger, legally binding targets and measures to ensure that the EU realises its target of reducing energy consumption by 20 per cent by 2020.

The outcome of the vote will mean that, if approved by the European Council, Member States will be required to set out, and meet, national roadmaps for achieving energy savings of 80 per cent in the building sector by 2050, with a ‘deep’ renovation rate of 2.5 per cent a year for public buildings [2].

Housing and buildings across Europe account for 40 per cent of energy consumption, making energy-efficient buildings a key factor in achieving the ambitious EU climate and energy goals. It is estimated that ten homes a minute must be refurbished to a high – or ‘deep’ – standard of energy efficiency from now until 2050 if these targets are to be met; a ten fold increase on the current rate.

Build with CaRe believes that dramatically enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings to the Passivehaus standard is the crucial step towards reducing energy demand [3]; a move which could tackle global warming, create thousands of jobs across Europe and boost health and wellbeing by delivering energy efficient, warm homes.

Jean, an ambassador for Build with CaRe, said: “With EU building stock producing over one third of CO2 emissions, the future of sustainable housing cannot simply depend upon the commitment of an enlightened few.  While pioneering organisations such as Build with CaRe can go far in spearheading efforts to transform Europe’s homes, the fact is that tough, legally binding targets alongside an EU-wide framework of policy, incentive and funding are key if we are to make energy efficiency in building design the norm.

“Gradual change will not deliver the transformation essential to deliver a low carbon, sustainable Europe.  A new legal requirement on Member States to deliver an 80 per cent energy saving from national housing stock by 2050 will go a long way to realising our climate goals, as well as resulting in significant energy savings and lower energy bills for EU citizens.  Now is not the time for Europe to stand idly by – now is the time for radical action and a new vision.”

END

Notes to Editor

1. Build with CaRe, launched in 2008, aims to facilitate, stimulate and strengthen the market in order to go from a few ‘good examples’ to energy efficient design as mainstream.  It is made up of 18 public and private organisations from across five countries – Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.  For more information, visit: http://www.buildwithcare.eu/
2. The European Parliament Energy Committee has now decided to proceed with negotiations on the Energy Efficiency Directive with the European Council.  The plenary vote will take place only after the end of these negotiations.
3. The Passivhaus Standard, developed in Germany in the early 1990s, is the fastest growing energy performance standard in the world with 30,000 buildings realised to date.  Passivhaus focuses on high thermal performance with exceptional levels of airtightness.  For more information, visit:http://www.passivhaus.org.uk

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Even though the UK has only 1% of the world’s population we are responsible for 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and our wasteful actions in the home, such as leaving electrical items on standby, contribute to more than a quarter of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions.

Green MEP Jean Lambert has today urged the Capital to ‘Switch Off’ and make a real difference to the climate change challenge, commenting; “Energy Efficiency week really highlights all the small changes we can make to reduce climate change. For example switching to energy efficient lightbulbs and not leaving the TV on standby to keep the dog company are easy but effective steps to make a difference.”

Jean however warned that these changes may not be enough to make the required impact on climate change; “We have heard the action plans and suggested lifestyle changes that can be used to reduce the effects of climate change but what we need to see now is real, positive action on the ground from the UK Government to put these into practice.” Jean continued.

“What concerns me now is the preparation for future generations.  Britain’s workforce lacks the skills to meet the demands of evolving technologies and ideas – without it our progression will be extremely limited.  There is not currently a coherent strategy for the training of our workforce at both EU and Government levels but it is vital that we implement a green strategy to meet environmental goals.

“Training is all too often aimed at placing people in jobs and ignores the potential to improve the environment. We must look to the future to ensure that the next generation do not face the climate change crisis we see before us now.”

ENDS

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