This autumn, EU legislators are set to resume negotiations on revising the F-gas regulation, which governs potent non-CO2 greenhouse gases primarily used in refrigeration. The EU Parliament and Council have conflicting views on the pace of the transition. The European Parliament supports an ambitious phase-out plan, advocating for a complete ban on F-gases across various applications. In contrast, the Council argues that F-gases are necessary, especially in sectors like heat pumps, switchgears, and commercial refrigeration, which heavily rely on F-gas imports. At the start of the new legislative year, with new interinstitutional meetings coming soon, it will be important to follow the progress of debates between the Council and Parliament, as well as the position of Central European countries, initially opposed to an ambitious roadmap for banning F-gases.

 

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On September 5, the Spanish Presidency published a compromise project regarding the net-zero emissions industry regulation. The Net-Zero Industry Act is an initiative stemming from the Green Deal Industrial Plan which aims to scale up the manufacturing of clean technologies in the EU. The project shows maintains the same points concerning strategic technologies - those eligible for all the benefits described in the text, including facilitated access to financing - and non-strategic technologies covered by the regulation proposal. The eight strategic technologies initially selected by the European Commission are thus retained (solar technologies, wind technologies, heat pumps, etc.), with the clarification that for networks, it refers solely to electrical networks.

 

As for the next steps, the Commission is expected to adopt this Communication in Q4 2023.

 

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On September 5, the US company Honeywell shared its stance on the debates concerning a potential phase-out of F-Gases. According to Honeywell, F-Gas is "incredibly efficient, less toxic, and has a low global warming potential – particularly low-GWP HFOs." The company also states that the ignition of F-Gases is rare and only possible with a flame source 5,000 times stronger than that required for propane. Therefore, it argues that the proposed changes to the current F-Gas Regulation could effectively lead to a ban on F-Gases, including HFOs.

 

Honeywell contends that such a ban would necessitate a shift from safer and more environmentally friendly F-Gas heat pumps to those using a refrigerant that is either less effective, more toxic, or more flammable. In conclusion, the company asserts that retaining the use of F-Gases is crucial for achieving ambitious climate targets outlined in the Green Deal and RePowerEU.

 

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On September 4, EFIEES (European Federation of Intelligent Energy Efficiency Services) answered the Commission’s public consultation on a Heat Pump Action Plan. The latter aims to accelerate the roll-out of heat pumps across the EU, in order to cut greenhouse gases emissions and achieve the Green Deal and RePower EU targets. EFIEES proposed five recommendations: 1. Energy demand reduction by reducing energy demand in buildings for an effective heat pump utilization. 2. Local deployment by including heat pump roll-out in broader district-level decarbonization plans, considering CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, and economic viability. 3. Ensuring adequate resources for the Action Plan, including manufacturing capacity and skilled technicians. 4. Effective pricing and incentives by aligning CO2 pricing, energy taxation, and state aids with actual CO2 emission levels of deployed solutions to drive investments. 4. Stable EU legal framework with the maintain of a stable and coherent EU legal framework, emphasizing effective implementation to bolster target credibility and provide investment visibility.

 

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The compromise proposal of the September 4 retains the overall objective of the Commission's text - achieving industrial capacity covering at least 40% of the EU's annual needs for deploying net-zero emission technologies by 2030. However, it adds that this capacity must cover 'at least 25% of global demand' for these technologies (such as heat pumps, electrolyzers, wind turbines...) and extends the goal to include components, materials, and machinery essential for their production. The text also provides the possibility of setting specific targets for 'key technologies and components' through delegated acts."

 

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Starting from September 1, stakeholders are invited to participate in the development of the program for the upcoming European Energy Transition Forum, which will take place in Dunkirk from May 28 to May 30 2024. The call for contributions will remain open until October 20.

 

Every year, the host organizer of the European Energy Transition Forum invites municipalities, associations, and local actors to contribute to the program. The aim of the European Energy Transition Forum is to showcase the actions of local actors in support of ecological transition to the general public; to increase awareness and understanding of climate, environmental, and health-related issues at both the local and global levels; to engage residents in ecological transition matters through a playful and educational program; and to raise awareness among diverse audiences about the various aspects and forms of energy transition. "

 

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On August 30, CAN Europe submitted its response to the Heat Pump Action Plan, proposing measures to accelerate heat pump adoption in the EU: (1) Create a collaborative platform involving the Commission, Member States, industry, finance, and training providers across the heat pump value chain. (2) Focus on research, innovation, scaling up manufacturing, optimizing electricity/gas pricing, and addressing standardization for smooth heat pump deployment. (3) Prioritize communication and establish a dedicated heat pump skills partnership to raise awareness and facilitate adoption among consumers and businesses. Ensure accessible information about heat pump solutions. (4) Update legislative rules to signal strong support for the heat pump market, including phasing out standalone boilers by 2029 and amending key regulations like EPBD, EED, Article 122 (permitting renewables), RED, and others. (5) Improve access to financing options by mapping EU funding programs for individual-level heat pump adoption and heating networks powered by large heat pumps in local and regional heating and cooling strategies. Address energy poverty and promote integrated energy upgrade projects in building renovations. 

 

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On August 28, the EGEC (European Geothermal Energy Council) published its response to the European Commission Heat Pumps Action Plan. EGEC’s core argument is that not all heat pumps are the same. Therefore, the association proposes to change the title of the initiative to incorporate the word “geothermal” and, to incorporate EU and national targets of a triple of geothermal capacity by 2030. It is also recommended to set up a tailored support for local authority to zone geothermal heat networks, to use the Just Transition Fund to finance heat networks from former oil, gas and coal infrastructure and to mandate in the Modernisation Fund to retrofit geothermal in district heating and cooling systems.  

 

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On September 8, after months of negotiations Germany's parliament is set to pass a new bill to reduce the country’s carbon footprint by mandating changes to the way Germans heat their homes and buildings. Despite intentions to combat climate change, the bill has led to public infighting and a backlash, causing the government's popularity to plummet. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has capitalized on the dissatisfaction with the law, leading to its rise in the polls. The law, which bans new oil and gas heating systems in favor of renewable energy-based heat pumps, has faced criticism from within the coalition, particularly from the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP). The AfD has vehemently opposed the law, calling it "prosperity annihilation." This situation in Germany serves as a cautionary tale for other European Union countries considering similar climate measures. Clean-energy heating systems are more expensive, and government subsidies have not appeased the public dissatisfaction. Germany's government approval rating is low, while the AfD's popularity has surged.

 

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On September 5, during a visit to a college in Orthez (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), President Emmanuel Macron announced the release of 500 million euros from the Green Fund to assist local authorities in financing the energy-efficient renovation of their school buildings. He also confirmed the government's goal of renovating 44,000 schools over the next ten years, including 10,000 by the end of the current five-year term, by utilizing the Green Fund, the "Édu Rénov" program by the Banque des Territoires, and third-party financing, which has recently become available to local authorities.

 

Starting in 2024, funds allocated to this project, along with more than 600 projects, have been initiated, resulting in 140 million euros of state aid committed out of a total of over 500 million euros for the renovations.

 

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On August 31, the United Kingdom government issued a press release announcing a simplified approach to eligibility for a heat pump grant. The goal is to save consumers time and money, and variable grants will enhance accessibility. Now, variable grants are planned for heat pumps to improve access to low-carbon heating, and the Heat Pump Vouchers offer up to £6,000 in discounts on installation, with over £81 million issued. The new proposals also provide an additional option to assist consumers in installing new biomass boilers.

 

This comes with the UK government's “Future Homes Standard” project, which will come into effect in 2025. Building regulations will continue to establish a performance-based standard rather than imposing or prohibiting the use of any technology.

 

On August 31, United Kingdom’s Department for Energy Security & Net Zero opened a consultation proposed amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations. The consultation closes on 12 October 2023.

 

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has been introduced in 2022 to support the decarbonisation of heat in buildings. Under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, capital grants are available to support the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers in homes and non-domestic buildings in England and Wales. The purpose of the consultation is to identify where changes may be needed to support a continued increase in deployment with the aim to target 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028.

 

On October 10, Nordic Building authorities in charge of ventilation regulation will host a webinar on Nordic ventilation on the theme: Can air cleaning replace ventilation? The aim is to improve the information exchange between Nordic countries for better indoor environment and performance of ventilation, as well as develop background information for future development of ventilation, to maintain the leading role of Nordic indoor air quality and ventilation technology.

 

More information is available here, while registration is available here.

 

 

In response to the European Commission's call for evidence public consultation on a Communication for Heat Pump Action Plan, the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) aims to gather positions and ideas of stakeholders on barriers to the roll-out of heat pumps. This forum is scheduled for Monday, October 9, 2023, from 09:45 to 14:30 (CEST), and is conducted in a hybrid format. Feedback will be summarized in a report sent to the European Commission. This event follows three previous stakeholder gatherings, which were designed to facilitate focused discussions on the heat pumps action plan. The last of these consultations is now taking place, with past sessions focusing on skills and communication (May 25, 2023), research, innovation, and market development (June 6, 2023), and financing for heat pump rollout (July 5, 2023).

 

 

On September 26, Sustainable Plus Energy Neighborhoods (SPENs) will host a webinar entitled: “Advancing Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhoods in Europe: Drivers, Barriers & policy recommendations”. During this webinar, Victoria Taranu, Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), will give an overview of existing gaps and barriers in the development and market uptake of SPENs, and share policy recommendations for Austria, the Netherlands, Spain and Norway, based on recent policy factsheets produced within the H2020 syn.ikia project.

 

More information is available here, while registration is available here.

 

 

On September 19, the Commission is hosting a virtual workshop on financing energy renovation for buildings to support more extensive and effective renovations. The European Commission seek input on how legislation, such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) recast, can promote investment in energy-efficient renovations.

 

More information is available here, while registration is available here.

 

 

EU
EUROPEAN COMMISSION: The European Commission is made up of 27 Commissioners, 1 for each Member State, and represents the interests of the EU as a whole. Every Commissioner is in charge of a Directorate-General (DG) that can be compared to a Ministry at national level. The European Commission proposes legislation in the form of Regulations and Directives and submits them to the Parliament and Council for discussion and adoption.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: The European Parliament is made up of 705 MEPs (see below) that are directly elected by EU citizens in 27 Member States.

MEP: Member of the European Parliament, a co-legislator within the EU that is made up of representatives from political parties throughout Member States.  

COUNCIL OF THE EU: Co-legislator, made up of representatives from Member State Governments. Has a six-month rotating presidency, currently held by the Czech Republic until the end of 2022. 

EUROPEAN COUNCIL: The European Council is made up of the leaders of the EU member states, commonly known as EU27. It defines the EU’s overall political direction and priorities but does not pass laws.

REGULATION: EU legislative act that is binding in its entirety and is to be applied in its entirety across the EU by all EU Member States.

DIRECTIVE: EU legislative act that sets out a goal that all EU Member States must achieve. However, it is up to the EU Member States to adopt their own laws on how to achieve the EU goals enshrined in the Directive. 

HORIZON EUROPE: is the EU’s main and biggest Research and Innovation programme for the period of 2021-2027. The programme has an overall funding of €95,5 billion. The program is divided into three pillars: open science, global challenges & industrial competitiveness and open innovation.  

 

INVESTEU: The InvestEU Programme builds on the successful model of the Investment Plan for Europe, the Juncker Plan. It brings together, under one roof, the European Fund for Strategic Investments and 13 EU financial instruments currently available. Triggering at least €650 billion in additional investment, the Programme aims to give an additional boost to investment, innovation and job creation in Europe.

EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL: is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050. The plan is to review EU’s energy and climate laws to bring them in line with this ambition. Green Deal also introduces new legislation on the circular economy, building renovation, biodiversity, farming and innovation.

 

FIT-FOR-55-PACKAGE: The European Commission’s work program for 2021 included the revisions and initiatives linked to the European Green Deal climate actions and in particular the climate target plan’s 55 % net reduction target are presented under the Fit for 55 package. The package is compiled of two parts, released on 14 July 2021 and 14 December 2021.

 

REHVA: is the association of European heating, ventilation and air-conditioning associations, based in Brussels.