There are many interesting brief new reports or news items that should interest EiD readers.
• New Germanwatch report: The End of EU Climate Leadership
The EU is no longer the world leader on climate policies. Other major countries have caught up or even outpaced the EU, a new study conducted by Germanwatch says. Even the U.S. and China now show at least as much headway in their climate change policies as the EU. This situation is highly problematic, as in the past EU climate action did encourage both OECD and Non-OECD countries around the world to take on more ambitious action.
Returning to its role as a climate leader would, however, be beneficial for European competitiveness, according to the Germanwatch study. The EU urgently needs a more comprehensive decarbonisation approach that combines protective elements for those industry sectors really adversely affected by stricter climate regulation with a state-backed framework for an investment and innovation strategy. Such a new strategy could become the cornerstone of a sustainable economic recovery in the EU.
The Germanwatch study counters arguments brought forward by industry lobby organisations in Germany and other EU countries that the EU is too much of a climate leader and that other big emitter countries have not followed its lead.
• New report from the Buildings Performance Institute Europe – Boosting Building Renovation: an overview of good practices
At the end of September 2013, the French government reaffirmed its ambitions to significantly increase building renovation rates, with the overall goal to refurbish 500 000 buildings annually by 2017. To help achieve this objective, a new plan was announced in March this year – the Plan to Renovate the Energy of Households (PREH).
To support the French debate around renovation roadmaps, the French NGO CLER commissioned BPIE to produce a report on successful building renovation programmes, as an overview of good practices in Europe and around the globe. This report was produced to complement a large consultation on the subject, with many stakeholders, from building industry and real-estate associations, environmental organisations, consulting firms and Ministries (Housing and Environment / Energy).
The focus of this study is on existing (or planned) regulation and programmes in selected countries, including long-term plans for building refurbishment, adopted by EU countries and regions.
The report provides several guiding principles that member states should consider when developing ambitious renovation plans as required under the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive.
The report can be downloaded in French or English from the BPIE website.
• New World Futures Council report, FIT for Renewables?
There is a new WFC report that offers concrete suggestions on design of Green Climate Fund. In 2010, more than 100 states agreed to establish an international fund to spur investment in renewable energy in developing countries to fight climate change. The WFC’s new report, “FIT for Renewables?” offers a timely and concrete contribution to the emerging design of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This report’s suggestions regarding feed-in tariffs (FIT) are in line with the GCF target to “promote a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways by providing support to developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate change.” This report emphasises that FIT funding should be distributed only once renewable energy technology starts to provide electricity to communities.
• Controversy over Energy Company Obligation continues in UK
Green taxes are being questioned in the UK as energy bills have been increases around 10% recently. There is a major effort by many, including the energy companies, to put the blame for much of the price rise on the green agenda that includes renewable energy and Energy Company Obligations. Now the government is determining whether they will opt for funding the green agenda through the tax system. This is allowed under EU legislation but it wasn’t really part of the spirit of the EU obligations.
What is curious is that the Energy Company Obligation is costing the energy companies no more per customer than the previous programme that it replaced. And there had been such programmes for two decades and they never raised the ire as much as today. Interestingly, the previous programme was a “commitment” and this one is an “obligation.” Is there some subliminal message there?
Yet, while the debate roars on, those needing energy efficiency measures are not getting them and this is also having a serious knock-on effect on those companies providing those energy efficiency products and services. And with high unemployment, it has been estimated that scrapping ECO could cost 30,000 jobs. If it is scrapped, the UK government must notify the Commission of an equivalent alternative programme by December this year.
While there are news bulletins almost daily, the rest of Europe needs to take notice. The Energy Company Obligation is now an obligation within the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. Most member states were not keen to have this obligation and were convinced, in large part, because of the results of the two decades of evidence in the UK.
EiD readers really need to follow this. So far, we have been reluctant to have too much detail because it has been such a national issue. But it really is much wider and it is time that everyone figures out what this means for the priority for energy efficiency. It was supposed to be getting stronger but it is not obvious.
EiD suggests you start by reading Andrew Warren’s column on this. Andrew is the Director of the Association for the Conservation of Energy.
• From a side event at the Climate Conference (COP 19) in Warsaw
Anyone who has been to one of the climate conferences will know all the side events that are held. One this week concerned the recent launch of the IEA’s World Energy Outlook. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) does the reporting for the Conference and the side events and they are available on a daily basis. Here is what they said from the IEA’s Laura Cozzi, who is key to the preparation of the WEO:
Laura Cozzi, IEA, underscored that the report focuses on what is doable and is aimed at policymakers all over the planet. She stressed that the energy sector, being the source of two-thirds of global GHG emissions, will be pivotal in determining whether or not climate change goals are met, underscoring the existence of both a policy and an emissions gap. She noted four policies that could keep us on the 2˚C target pathway, namely: introducing specific energy efficiency measures in transport, building and industry; limiting construction and use of the least-efficient coal-fired power plants; accelerating the partial phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies; and minimizing methane emissions from upstream oil and gas production.
How do EiD readers feel about the four policies that Laura suggests? Send a comment or go to EiD Facebook page.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 