Commission flags ‘Belgium-sized gap’ in EU 2030 energy efficiency targets

This article is part of our special report Closing the gap, how to advance energy efficiency for EU competitiveness and climate goals.

Despite progress, the EU is still falling short of its 2030 efficiency targets by the equivalent of Belgium’s annual energy use, according to the European Commission.

On Wednesday, the European Commission presented its assessment of the national energy and climate plans (NECPs) of the EU’s member states. The only countries that are yet to file their final updated NECPs are Estonia, Belgium and Poland.

While the assessment found that countries have significantly closed the gap to achieving the 2030 energy and climate targets, more work remains to be done if the EU is to achieve its energy efficiency target of an overall reduction of 11.7% in final energy consumption by 2030.

Currently, NECPs show the EU is heading toward a reduction of 8.1%.

“This is a significant gap, which equals the annual final energy consumption of Belgium. Despite this, the gap must be seen in context and the current figures reflect significant progress compared to previous energy efficiency objectives,” the Commission noted in its assessment.

Energy efficiency plans lacking desired detail

According to the Commission, several member states “do not provide information on the implementation of the Energy Efficiency First Principle” and have plans that are insufficiently detailed in their public sector’s energy efficiency obligations.

This principle is embodied in EU legislation and is meant to guide various plans to ensure that no excess energy is produced and that energy demand is reduced, among other aims. For example, in its NECP, Germany detailed how it is taking this principle into account in its building sector by offering federal funding for efficient buildings.

Reacting to the Commission’s assessment, MEP Niels Fuglsang (S&D), who was the rapporteur for the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), told Euractiv that while the EU is on the right track toward the green transition, more needs to be done in several areas, particularly when it comes to improving energy efficiency. He highlighted that the 11.7% reduction target set in the EED is a binding target with safeguards to ensure enforcement.

“It is admittedly disappointing that the EU is not performing better in [energy efficiency]. Improving energy efficiency is one of the low-hanging fruits when it comes to reducing our climate footprint and becoming independent from Russian gas and fossil fuels more broadly,” Fuglsang said.

Fuglsang also said he noted the Commission recognises this lack of progress and is willing to step up efforts.

“We need to ensure adequate financing for energy efficiency projects and accelerate renovation and electrification. In addition, we must become much better at utilising waste heat and ensuring that the rapidly growing number of data centres across Europe are energy efficient,” Fuglsang said.

The MEP said missing the 2030 targets means a missed opportunity to reduce the EU’s energy consumption, thus increasing its energy independence and security. He said Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine makes the issue more important than ever.

‘A bit of a paradox’

Addressing questions from Euractiv following a press conference on the Commission’s NECP assessments, Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said he views the EU focusing more on renewables rather than energy efficiency as “a bit of a paradox”.

Jørgensen said the EU needs to ramp up efforts when it comes to energy efficiency, particularly given the positive returns on investment toward energy efficiency measures in industry and private homes.

Jørgensen highlighted that electrification will be at the core of the EU’s energy efficiency efforts. In December, a coalition of associations backing electrification had called for Jørgensen to publish an Electrification Action Plan during his first 100 days in office.

“[Electrification] is one of the most important and fastest ways of becoming more efficient,” Jørgensen said during Wednesday’s press conference.

According to The Coalition for Energy Savings, while several countries raised their energy efficiency ambitions in their final NECP, others set final energy objectives that are less ambitious than those required by the EED. These include Sweden, Hungary, Malta, and Spain.

“Despite growing momentum and tangible improvements on energy efficiency, national actions must accelerate significantly,” the coalition’s Secretary General, Arianna Vitali Roscini, said in a statement. “We call on the European Commission to lead the way by supporting countries in implementation and stepping in with stronger measures where progress lags,” she added.

[ Edited by Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]