New impetus to the Commission’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan

EU and G8 leaders met on the 20th and 21st of April in Berlin for a conference on ‘Energy Efficiency – Shaping Tomorrow’s World’. The objective of the conference was to foster the dialogue on market-oriented solutions for the demand side and to support the ongoing policy making process aimed at enhancing energy efficiency. The main focus was on strategic issues to greater promotion of energy efficiency and on energy efficiency issues in electricity, buildings and transport sector.

Michael Glos, German Federal Minister of Economics and Technology stated: ‘The economy and the environment need an appropriate, sustainable framework’. This is one of the reasons why Germany made energy efficiency one of the priorities of its G8 and EU presidencies.

Wolfgang Tiefensee, Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs said Germany will introduce by the end of the year energy certificates for existing buildings, as required by the EC Energy performance of Buildings Directive. A second step next year will be to raise the standards required. The introduction of mandatory energy certification of buildings is also under discussion.

European Commissioner for Energy, Andris Piebalgs, was present with the aim of encouraging action by the parts but above all, what can be done through cooperation at the global level. This is one of the dimensions of the European Commission’s Action Plan on Energy Efficiency and integrated action with the G8 initiative on energy efficiency would be of utmost importance.