Last Wednesday, 11 December, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal, an ambitious package of policy measures geared towards making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. With bold investments in green technologies, boosts to innovation, and support for climate friendly industries, the policy package offers new growth perspectives for businesses in the European HVACR sector, and the potential to bolster the position of our industry as global leaders in clean and sustainable products.
One of the pillars of the European Green Deal is a commitment to clean energy, which includes shifting to renewables and prioritising energy efficiency. To this end, Von der Leyen has mandated a review of the Energy Efficiency Directive and Renewable Energy Directive, and the drafting of a new ambitious Ecodesign working plan and circular economy action plan. The Ecodesign and Energy Labelling regulatory framework will receive increased attention and integrate circular economy and lifecycle assessment aspects.
40% of the energy consumption in the EU is attributable to buildings, making the building sector one of the most important targets of the new Commission’s decarbonisation strategies. The EPBD, last reviewed in 2018, will most likely again be subject to review under von der Leyen’s mandate, as will the Construction Products Regulation. The European Green Deal aims to double or even triple building renovation rates and speed up building digitisation, to ensure the EU’s building stock is on track to decarbonise by 2050.
The new Commission has also committed itself to bold air quality standards in line with the WHO guidelines. Clean air is of fundamental importance for good health but remains undervalued. Eurovent will continue to stress the importance of clean air indoor, where people spend most of their time, and push for EU policies which properly value not just clean ambient air but Indoor Air Quality as well.
Naci Sahin, President of Eurovent, said: “Eurovent strongly supports the initiatives of the European Green Deal. They promise to make the building engineering sector even more sustainable, to encourage the uptake of the best market-available technologies and most efficient products, and to stimulate further innovation and investment in R&D activities. Already today, the most energy efficient heating, cooling and ventilation equipment is marketed in the EU. The European Green Deal promises to ensure that the European HVACR industry strengthens its role to play in the built environment of tomorrow as well.”
Eurovent looks forward to working closely together with the European Commission to accompany the development of the Green New Deal and match its bold leadership to achieve our shared climate-neutrality goals.
