EUROSOLAR Press Release, Brussels/Bonn, April 7th, 2005 25% by 2020
Today a joint declaration urging for an EU directive in the field of renewable heating and cooling was presented by a large group of supporters. Initiated by the European Renewable Energy Council, the declaration calls upon the EU Institutions to act in the missing field of legislation: the neglected giant of renewable heating and cooling.
Ole Pilgaard, member of the EREC Board of Directors and President of ESTIF (European Solar Thermal Industry Federation) said: “Europe claims to be at the forefront of renewable energy development worldwide., which is true. But looking at the facts Europe is only at the forefront of developing renewable electricity technologies so far. This is a good and important start, but not enough. In order to develop the full potential of renewables, clear and coherent legislative action is needed in the field of renewable heating and cooling as well.”
Nearly half of the European energy consumption is needed in the heating sector, but there is not yet one piece of legislation on European level in place that aims to increase the share of renewable heating and cooling production.
The promotion of renewable heating and cooling production is not only necessary to fulfil the EU targets in the renewable energy sector, but will also significantly contribute to the reduction of the EU’s energy import dependence, to the reduction of greenhouse gases and to the creation of sustainable jobs.
Stephan Singer from WWF stated ”Europe needs to develop stronger policies to promote renewable energies in all sectors. A directive for renewable heating and cooling with a legally-binding target of 25% by 2020 will be extremely important to cut CO2 emissions over and beyond the Kyoto targets which all need to be strengthened post 2012 to protect the climate”.
The declaration calls for a Directive, which is setting an overall EU target of 25% renewable heating and cooling. This should be broken down into different mandatory targets for the Member States. The proposed measures within the Directive are the setting of framework conditions for promotion mechanisms in the Member States, the removing of administrative barriers, common statistical procedures and the raising of awareness. The declaration was initiated by the European Renewable Energy Council and supported by more than 40 organisations from 19 different Member States ranging from major NGOs, such as Greenpeace, WWF, CAN Europe and Friends of the Earth to business chambers, the IEA-Solar Heating & Cooling Programme, energy agencies as well as both European and national business and industry associations.
EUROSOLAR/EREC Joint Declaration for a European Directive to promote renewable heating and cooling (pdf)