The statement was submitted in response to the European Commission’s European Climate Change Programme, which is currently undergoing consultation until the end of the year. Signatories to the joint statement include the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Cogen, The European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE), and Friends of the Earth.
Key demands include:
- a directive on energy efficiency in buildings, as the contribution of insulation to reducing emissions is often overlooked;
- a directive to double cogeneration, as the efficient production of heat and electricity in power plants can save electricity and cut emissions;
- efficiency standards for electric appliances and mandatory energy labelling, evolving with best available technologies;
- the rapid implementation of a European kilometre charge for heavy goods vehicles and increased investments on public transports;
- the strengthening and rapid adoption and implementation of the proposed directive on electricity from renewable energies.
“The ECCP must not reinforce the sins of the past, simply because they are easier to understand, and thus model, than alternative solutions,” says the joint statement. “Instead, the ECCP must be the turning point for the EU in staring serious implementation of policies and measures to cut GHG’s emissions in the EU. To this extent, we believe that the ECCP provides a unique opportunity for giving priority to domestic action, with the objective of achieving real reductions in emissions.”