Posted on January, 12 2018

Putting energy efficiency at the center of the energy transition is needed for the climate and the wellbeing of people, as it holds many economic, social and environmental benefits.

Therefore in this briefing paper, Climate Action Network Europe, the European Environmental Bureau, Friends of the Earth Europe and WWF urge MEPs to vote for a strong Energy Efficiency Directive in plenary. This will ensure a strong negotiating position for the trilogues, to counteract the Council’s weak position and achieve the best possible final outcome. 

Specifically, the NGOs urge MEPs to:
• Support a binding 40% energy efficiency target, with binding national targets for 2030
• Support the extension of the energy savings obligation beyond 2020
• Eliminate the loopholes that reduce the ambition of the energy savings obligation:
   - Include the transport energy use in the calculation of the 1,5% annual savings objective,
   - Remove the exemptions that weaken the impact of the obligation, such as those that allow counting energy savings from actions implemented before 2014 and treating the energy sold to ETS industries as energy savings.