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Strategies and policies

By 2020, the EU aims to:

  • reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20%
  • increase the share of renewable energy to at least 20% of consumption
  • achieve energy savings of 20% or more

All EU countries must also achieve a 10% share of renewable energy in their transport sector.

The partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU on energy transitionhas as objectives to have a long-term structural change in energy systems, i.e. a shift to renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Main links

Energy Union

Energy Efficiency Package

Energy Roadmap 2050 [COM(2011)885]

Other links

Europe 2020 strategy

EU 2020 climate and energy package

Resource efficiency opportunities in the building sector (2014) [COM(2014) 445]

European strategy for low-emission mobility

Driving Europe’s transition to a low-carbon economy - low carbon economy package

Innovation for a sustainable Future - The Eco-innovation Action Plan (Eco-AP)

Urban data and studies

26 MARCH 2018
European Barometer Survey (2011)
English
(HTML)
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Energy and Smart Specialisation Platform on Energy (S3PEnergy)

Urban Data Platform

Eurostat

ESPON

Open Data Portal for European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF)

Financing energy renovation of buildings with Cohesion Policy funding (European Commission report 2014)

Financing energy renovation of buildings with Cohesion Policy Funding

Progress on energy efficiency in Europe (2015)

26 MARCH 2018
Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions Group (EEFIG) - Final Report
English
(HTML)
Download
26 MARCH 2018
Energy performance in buildings (Territorial Impact Assessment)
English
(HTML)
Download

Funding opportunities and advice

Programmes and funding opportunities

European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)

European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF)

European Investment Project Portal (EIPP)

Urban Innovative Actions (UIA)

For more information and other funding opportunities, please visit our dedicated funding page.

Connecting Europe Facility funds

European Energy Efficiency Fund

'Marguerite' fund for energy, climate change and infrastructure

LIFE (Financial Instrument for Environment and Climate Action)

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking

NER 300

Advice and technical assistance

URBIS

Urbis is a new dedicated urban investment advisory platform within the European Investment Advisory Hub. It is set up to provide advisory support to urban authorities to facilitate, accelerate and unlock urban investment projects, programmes and platforms.

European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA)

Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions (JASPERS)

JASPERS is the 'Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions', free of charge for local authorities and promotors, which advices cities and regions on strategic planning in a wide range of sectors. It supports the preparation of projects in areas benefiting from EU funds so they meet all the necessary standards.

fi-Compass

fi-Compass is a platform for advisory services on financial instruments and is designed to support European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) managing authorities, Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) microfinance providers and other interested parties, by providing practical know-how and learning tools on financial instruments.

References

Beginner's Guide to EU Funding

Accessing regional-policy funds

Networking

Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy

European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities

Awards

European Green Capital Award (EGCA)

European Green Leaf (EGL)

European Capital of Innovation

Project examples

LIFE Programme database - energy related projects

REGIO project database

KEEP

Smart Cities Information System - Concerto TMD database

ECODISTRICT-ICT - Integrated decision support tool for retrofit and renewal towards sustainable districts

FASUDIR - Integrated Decision Support Tool Overview

RIBUILD - Robust Internal Thermal Insulation of Historic Buildings

CETIEB - Cost-Effective Tools for Better Indoor Environment in Retrofitted Energy Efficient Buildings

EFFESUS - Energy Efficiency for EU Historic Districts’ Sustainability

EU legislation

Main laws

Directive 2009/28/EC - promotion of use of energy from renewable sources

Directive 2010/31/EU - energy performance of buildings

Directive 2012/EU/27 - on energy efficiency

Other laws