European Parliament approves Commission’s low energy labelling scheme

The proposal is part of the EU’s SAVE programme of improving energy efficiency, and the Commission is proposing that the EU signs up to the US’s Energy Star Scheme (see related story). Based on experiences in countries with similar schemes, it is predicted that the Energy Star labelling scheme will result in electricity savings of about 10TWh and about five million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

According to the European Parliament, the programme should be continuously monitored with regular reviews to ensure it meets “sustainability requirements”. Parliament recognises that the Energy Star label is already seen on many products on Europe, making it an accepted brand.