European regions commit to energy savings, renewables: energy action on the ground
For readers unfamiliar with the intricacies of European politics, a quick note. There is the Europe of nation-states and a supra-national level known as the Union. Within each nation-state, there is of course the very local level consisting of districts, municipalities and cities, governed by the memberstates' own institutions (subsidiarity principle, stay close to the citizen). But there exists an intermediate level - the regions - who use platforms to get their voices heard directly at the EU level. After all, three quarters of all the EU legislation is implemented at this local and regional level.
This intermediate level also cooperates on the front of energy policy. It has now come out with a declaration on energy efficiency and renewable energy, which was signed on 7 December 2006 at a round table organised in Brussels by the Committee of the Regions, the European Federation of Regional Energy and Environment Agencies and the Assembly of European Regions. The motto of the round table: "when it comes to energy, think globally, act regionally".
The declaration offers an interesting fresco of Europe's diversity and shows how energy policies are implemented in a 'bottom-up' manner. Supra-national decisions and visions are important, but the real action happens on the ground. Combating climate change and going green does not start in Brussels. It starts on your front lawn.
The document also shows how different renewables - wind, solar, biomass - are combined in a unique mix, suitable for each separate region. There is no single blueprint. Moreover, the document indicates how energy policies at a local level touch a great variety of other fields, from social (reducing energy poverty) and health policies (problems associated by energy poverty) to micro-economic (aiding households and SME's to become more efficient) and macro-economic interventions (reducing the overall 'energy intensity' of a region's economy).
'Totally fossil-fuel free'
Separate pledges towards increased use of renewables and higher efficiency were made by individual regions. Some interesting examples are the commitment by the Kalmar County Council in Sweden to be "totally fossil-fuel free by 2050 or earlier" and a commitment by the Navarra region in Spain to have 75% of its electricity produced from renewable energy sources by 2010.
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: climate change :: energy efficiency :: renewables :: EU ::
The EU's Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs made a speech at the roundtable, saying he hoped more regions would follow suit and set quantitative targets as well. He said that forthcoming measures at EU level would include a revision of labelling requirements for electrical appliances (Ecodesign directive) that will reserve "A" label standard only to the "10-20% most efficient appliances".
In the buildings sector, he said that member states and regions "could and should consider doing much more already now and not wait for a move from Brussels" to lower the 1,000 square-metre benchmark for minimum efficiency requirements.
Piebalgs said that EU state-aid rules will be re-examined in 2007 to scrap guidelines that explicitly prohibit support for the production of energy-efficient goods. As they currently stand, EU state-aid rules only allow member states to adopt fiscal measures promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances and cars that emit less CO2.
More information:
Fedarene: Declaration - European Regions for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources - 7 Dec. 2006
Speech by Commissioner Piebalgs: Energy efficiency: the best way towards a sustainable, competitive and secure energy system - 7 Dec. 2006
Assembly of European Regions: Energy at the service of regional economic development: It's a win-win situation - 7 Dec. 2006
This intermediate level also cooperates on the front of energy policy. It has now come out with a declaration on energy efficiency and renewable energy, which was signed on 7 December 2006 at a round table organised in Brussels by the Committee of the Regions, the European Federation of Regional Energy and Environment Agencies and the Assembly of European Regions. The motto of the round table: "when it comes to energy, think globally, act regionally".
The declaration offers an interesting fresco of Europe's diversity and shows how energy policies are implemented in a 'bottom-up' manner. Supra-national decisions and visions are important, but the real action happens on the ground. Combating climate change and going green does not start in Brussels. It starts on your front lawn.
The document also shows how different renewables - wind, solar, biomass - are combined in a unique mix, suitable for each separate region. There is no single blueprint. Moreover, the document indicates how energy policies at a local level touch a great variety of other fields, from social (reducing energy poverty) and health policies (problems associated by energy poverty) to micro-economic (aiding households and SME's to become more efficient) and macro-economic interventions (reducing the overall 'energy intensity' of a region's economy).
'Totally fossil-fuel free'
Separate pledges towards increased use of renewables and higher efficiency were made by individual regions. Some interesting examples are the commitment by the Kalmar County Council in Sweden to be "totally fossil-fuel free by 2050 or earlier" and a commitment by the Navarra region in Spain to have 75% of its electricity produced from renewable energy sources by 2010.
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: climate change :: energy efficiency :: renewables :: EU ::
The EU's Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs made a speech at the roundtable, saying he hoped more regions would follow suit and set quantitative targets as well. He said that forthcoming measures at EU level would include a revision of labelling requirements for electrical appliances (Ecodesign directive) that will reserve "A" label standard only to the "10-20% most efficient appliances".
In the buildings sector, he said that member states and regions "could and should consider doing much more already now and not wait for a move from Brussels" to lower the 1,000 square-metre benchmark for minimum efficiency requirements.
Piebalgs said that EU state-aid rules will be re-examined in 2007 to scrap guidelines that explicitly prohibit support for the production of energy-efficient goods. As they currently stand, EU state-aid rules only allow member states to adopt fiscal measures promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances and cars that emit less CO2.
More information:
Fedarene: Declaration - European Regions for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources - 7 Dec. 2006
Speech by Commissioner Piebalgs: Energy efficiency: the best way towards a sustainable, competitive and secure energy system - 7 Dec. 2006
Assembly of European Regions: Energy at the service of regional economic development: It's a win-win situation - 7 Dec. 2006
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