Why energy savings

The sustainable response to the economic and climate crisis

Stepping up energy efficiency to deliver substantial energy savings is overdue. Current efforts would only achieve half of Europe‟s energy saving target and undermine the credibility of its climate and energy ambitions. The economic and financial challenges EU governments are facing call for more common responses and make a strong case for improved EU energy efficiency legislation as a clever way to reduce expenditures. Increasing energy efficiency means delivering more and stable local jobs, a healthier environment and increased energy and financial security while spending less on energy bills and imports.

Energy efficiency is not only the lowest-cost means of reducing carbon emissions in the economy; it also:

• Is widely distributed, with savings opportunities in every Member State and economic sector;

• Directly reduces energy costs to households and businesses across the economy, thereby reducing energy poverty and strengthening global competitiveness of EU businesses – meeting the energy efficiency target will lower energy bills for consumers by €78 billion annually by 2020;

• Has the potential to create wide-scale business opportunities and significant numbers of new, local, permanent jobs (Commission estimates: 2 million new jobs could be created by reaching the 20% target;

• Improves power system reliability and security of supply while reducing energy import dependency;

• Avoids the need to build a large fraction of otherwise-required power generation, transmission and delivery infrastructure; and

• Contributes to the achievement of EU’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets (achieving 20% savings corresponds to a reduction of 560Mt CO2 emissions)

The Coalition urges EU institutions, politicians and legislators to provide leadership and convince the sceptical voices of the need for a common effort to realise energy savings.