The European Union has set a legally binding target of 11.7 percent reduction in final energy consumption by 2030 compared to 2020 levels.
EU countries will now be legally required to prioritise energy efficiency in policymaking, planning, and major investments, giving the ‘energy efficiency first principle’ substantial legal standing for the first time.
The European Commission said this marks the final step of the legislative process that started in July 2021 as part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, which includes a commitment to becoming climate-neutral by 2050.
EU commissioner for energy, Kadri Simson, said: “Another milestone has been achieve towards completing the Fit For 55 objectives. Our increased ambition and stronger measures on energy efficiency will accelerate the energy transition. The EU’s security of supply will be boosted, and our dependency on Russian fossil fuels will further decrease, in line with the REPowerEU Plan. The strengthened energy efficiency directive will help us achieve these goals collectively across the EU.”
Among other measures, businesses consuming large amounts of energy will be required to introduce energy management systems. Consumers exceeding 85 terajoules of annual energy will be subject to mandatory audits in the event of non-compliance. Enterprises with an energy consumption above 10 terajoules will have to perform an energy audit and prepare an action plan for the different recommendations.
The legislation also promotes local heating and cooling plans in larger municipalities. Moreover, minimum requirements will be gradually tightened in the coming years towards achieving a fully decarbonised district heating and cooling supply by 2050.
