EEFIG news winter 2022
date: 13/12/2022
A tour-de-force in energy efficiency as the centre of the EU strategy for energy security and independence from EEFIG’s successful session at EUSEW
Back in September, EUSEW took a hybrid format on the theme of 'Going green and digital for Europe's energy transition'. EEFIG was proud to host a session at the Policy Conference, under the motto “Financing Energy Efficiency 1st for Fit for 55 - The Role of Financial Institutions” Our delegates presented and discussed new insights from EEFIG on applying the EE 1st principle in Financial Institutions (FI’s); stimulating consumer demand for EE investments and collecting and monitoring data on EE investments and financing.
Key facts of the session
The EEFIG session at EUSEW was a true tour-de-force in energy efficiency as the centre of the EU strategy for energy security and independence. Within the 1 ½ hours session, our speakers had an onsite panel discussion with 61 people attending the event in Brussels and 221 participating online. Keynote speaker, Isidoro Tapia, was backed by Peter Hobson, Carlos Sanchez-Rivero, Bettina Dorendorf, Sorcha Edwards, Peter Sweatman, and Markus Seifert.
The insights presented and discussed at the session stimulated the panel discussion around:
- the opportunities and barriers for increasing the supply of financing required for closing the EE investment gap and meeting Fit for 55 goals
- ensuring market demand for and uptake of financing for EE investments
- the role of policy makers at MS and EU level in supporting this process
A quick update on EEFIG’s presence at COMIF in Brussels
EEFIG was represented at the Covenant of Mayors Investment Forum – Energy Efficiency Finance Market Place (in short COMIF-EEFMP) in Brussels back in October. It is a good example of some of the work EEFIG does in spreading the message on Energy Efficiency Financing.
EEFIG’s position at COMIF-EEFMP
The COMIF-EEFMP conference is showcasing successful projects on financing energy efficiency, climate adaptation and innovative energy planning, as well as initiatives working across Europe to facilitate the market for climate and sustainable energy finance. EEFIG was there to draw attention to our work, and it was a very successful day in that respect.
The EEFIG stand was strategically well placed between the buffet and the coffee machine and many conference participants, including EEFIG members and Commission staff, came by for a discussion of the EEFIG work and the reports published during 2022, coffee in hand.
Introduction to the AÚNA Forum report synthesised for EEFIG members
The AÚNA Forum report, made by AÚNA in collaboration with Peter Sweatman associated with EEFIG and SEIF, shows the work and effect that EEFIG has on the energy efficiency finance landscape throughout Europe, with a good case study of the concrete situation of energy rehabilitation in Spain.
During recent years the Spanish landscape for EE finance in buildings has experienced a greater focus and some positive changes. However, a core problem in promoting the messages around EE in the country is the absence of dialogue between the different sectors that take part in sustainable buildings. To address these issues, the AÚNA Forum was founded in 2020 to establish a permanent, multilevel, multilateral discussion forum, focused entirely on sustainable building financing, for the successful and broad implementation of the Smart Finance for Smart Buildings initiative.
Close collaboration with EEFIG
The AÚNA forum is part of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums (SEIF) of the European Union, and it has collaborated closely with EEFIG in both propagating findings in the Spanish context and providing local sounding board and dialogue between the financial sector, public officials and the different stakeholders involved.
The AÚNA Forum report summarises the output of Spain’s AUNA Forum synthesised for EEFIG Members. This synthesis report has been framed by the collaboration CS- AUNA and written by Peter Sweatman and Mauricio Yrivarren, respectively CEO and Senior Research Associate of Climate Strategy & Partners.