EU Energy-Saving Plan
EurActiv has seen a draft of an ambitious energy-efficiency plan to be unveiled by the Commission that includes a binding target to slash fuel consumption in cars.
On 22 June 2005, the Commission tabled a ‘Green Paper’ on energy efficiency, outlining a series of ideas which it said could save Europe some 20% in energy consumption by 2020 and slash its energy bill by €60 billion every year.
EU member states have highlighted housing and transport as the sectors where the savings potential is greatest. But they insisted that the EU adopts realistic and wide-ranging measures such as soft law, product labelling, support measures, certificates and voluntary agreements.
» Source: EurActiv
Issues:
The Commission will tell EU countries that they can cut their energy bill by €40 billion annually from 2012 if they follow the recommendations of an energy-efficiency action plan to be unveiled on 20 September. It would also reduce CO2 emissions by 180 million tonnes annually and help the EU meet its Kyoto target on global warming.
A draft of the plan dated 19 June, of which EurActiv has obtained a copy, says “ambitious implementation of existing legislation and new actions” are needed to slash energy consumption in the EU.
However, action needs to reach all sectors of the economy - public sector, households and businesses - if the effects are going to be felt, it says. “Many complementary actions are needed” to produce “the lasting institutions, technical and behavioural changes and market transformations necessary to improve energy-efficiency,” the draft reads.
The document spreads action over six years (2007-2012) and consists of four pillars:
Behavioural change with awareness campaigns targeted at consumers and the larger public;
legal instruments to ensure existing EU laws are used to their “full potential” with a possible revision of targets;
financial instruments including tax incentives and using sources of financing such as the EU’s regional funds, and;
global aspects including trade and development policy, international agreements and treaties to disseminate and export cleaner technologies.
Two sectors are covered in a more particular way, although little detail was yet available:
Transport:
The Commission will impose European carmakers to reduce CO2 emissions if it becomes clear that the voluntary target of 140g CO2/km is not met by 2008. The agreement is “not on track”, says the document, with emissions “far from the target of 120g CO2/km in 2012″.
Other initiatives include: a new framework directive on energy-efficiency in transport; incentives for hybrid and fuel cell cars; differentiated excise tax rates according to fuel efficiency; car sharing schemes; road pricing / congestion taxes; speed control limiters; progressive insurance premium; modal shift in urban areas; traffic optimisation using the Gallileo satellite positioning system; state aid for eco-design by manufacturers, and; the promotion of Flex Fuel cars that can run on a higher mix of biofuels.
Energy transformation sector:
A study is foreseen to explore the feasibility of minimum efficiency standards for new power stations. Improving efficiency standards in coal-fired power plants is also a possibility being explored.
