MEPs vote for binding energy efficiency target welcome

Posted by Bronwen Maher on December 15, 2010 at 05:06 PM

Labour MEP Nessa Childers welcomed the result of today's European Parliament vote in Strasbourg on energy efficiency and energy bill-saving potential, with the upcoming revision of the EU Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

She said: "Despite Irish government opposition, I especially welcome the demand for binding energy efficiency targets of 20% by 2020. Just like in other areas, such as renewable energy and CO2 emissions, binding targets have helped to stimulate the drive for new green jobs.

"Energy efficiency means not only reducing our carbon emissions and new green jobs but it will also mean money saved on bills for hard-pressed family budgets.
"Across Europe, buildings account for about 40% of energy consumption, therefore we must work strongly for efficiency-oriented so-called 'deep renovation' of our new and existing buildings.

"Deep renovation of buildings would transform the European building stock, tripling the renovation rate for existing buildings by 2020, and improving the energy performance of existing buildings by on average 80% over existing performance levels. With over 200 million building units in the EU stock and the estimated average annual renovation rate of only 1.2%, it will take decades unless we employ deep renovation methods.

"Efficiency measures in the building sector include green buildings and retrofitting as well as improving the efficiency of individual building components including: water heaters, cooking equipment, domestic appliances, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and lighting.

"Types of jobs that are created in green building and the retrofitting process include green designers, architects, auditors, engineers, estimators, project managers, and various jobs in the construction trades, such as pipe fitters, sheet metal workers, and general construction workers, among others.

"This binding target is supported by a wide spread of stakeholders ranging from glass manufacturing to venture capitalists. It would lead to greater economic competitiveness, thousands of new local and permanent Irish jobs."

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