The European Union reaches an agreement to reduce energy consumption by 2030

Europe 1 with AFP 3:20 p.m., March 10, 2023, modified at 3:23 p.m., March 10, 2023

EU member states and MEPs reached an agreement on Friday to reduce Europe's energy consumption by 2030, through building renovations, less greedy industries and public sector efforts.

This text on energy efficiency was proposed by the European Commission in July 2021 as part of the climate plan aimed at reducing by 55% by 2030, compared to 1990, the greenhouse gas emissions of the EU.

>> READ ALSO -

 "We have entrusted the energy destiny of France to ignorant people", believes Loïk Le Floch-Prigent

The requirement has been raised from the Commission's proposal

The agreement reached on Friday between the negotiators of the States and the European Parliament envisages reducing by at least 11.7% the final energy consumption of the EU in 2030, compared to the level planned for the end of the decade a reference scenario established in 2020. Brussels only sets "indicative" targets for each country, but "a rigorous monitoring and enforcement mechanism will be established to ensure that Member States respect their national contributions to this European objective binding", specifies a press release from the Parliament.

The requirement has been raised compared to the Commission's proposal (9%), but remains well below the 14.5% drop demanded by MEPs to take account of the energy shock caused by the war in Ukraine and to reduce dependence on imported hydrocarbons.

"For the first time, we have a binding target for energy consumption. It's a big victory, a good agreement for the climate and bad for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin", however welcomed the Socialist MEP Niels Fuglsang, rapporteur of the text.

>> READ ALSO - 

Energy sobriety plan: what our neighbors in the European Union are planning

The public sector should lead by example

On average, between 2024 and 2030, the Twenty-Seven will be required to reduce their final energy consumption by around 1.5% per year compared to the trajectory anticipated in the 2020 scenario. Their efforts will have to gradually accelerate , to achieve annual energy savings of 1.9% by the end of 2030. Buildings, industry, transport, energy-intensive companies (consuming more than 85 terajoules/year) will have to equip themselves with an "energy management system " or agree to a regular audit.

Computer data centers, which consume a lot of electricity, will be subject to energy performance criteria.

Their heat could be used to heat other buildings.

Above all, the public sector will have to lead by example: in each country, the energy consumption of all public bodies will have to drop by 1.9% each year, with a long transition for the smallest communities.

States will also be required to renovate at least 3% of the total surface area of ​​public buildings each year, at national, but also regional and local level, to eliminate energy losses and carbon emissions.

An agreement deemed "disappointing for some NGOs

Contrary to what the MEPs demanded, social housing could be excluded from this objective.

The text also plans to improve heating and cooling systems in cities with more than 45,000 inhabitants.

After 2030, it prohibits subsidies for the gas supply of new infrastructures or major renovations linked to district heating.

The agreement is considered "disappointing" by the coordination of environmental NGOs CAN, which called for a reduction target of 20% by 2030, "necessary to meet the obligations of the Paris Agreement" on climate, and binding targets assigned to each State.

"Policymakers have failed to take a meaningful stance to reduce dependence on fossil fuels," she said, hoping for "more ambitious" national roadmaps.