PRESS RELEASE - The coolproducts for a cool planet coalition is calling on the European Commission to end delays to discussions on ecodesign standards for key energy-using products, which is costing European consumers up to €120 million a day.
According to the report “Energy savings in practice” to be published today by the group, huge energy savings can be made in household appliances, particularly in heating equipment, with financial savings of up to €44 billion a year for European consumers. To achieve these savings, ambitious ecodesign regulations must be adopted urgently.
The coolproducts campaign partners are therefore calling on EU decision-makers to stop caving in to industry and energy supplier pressures for weak and slow measures, and strengthen the current proposals so that Europe can meet its 2020 environmental and energy saving targets.
Ron Wit, manager of the Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment, said: “Heating equipment is responsible for 25% of CO2 emissions in the EU, a similar number to European transport. The EU aims to become 20% more energy efficient and save 20% CO2 by 2020 so it is indispensible that we start right now to address this potential for consumers and the environment alike.”
Energy efficiency rules for boilers and water heaters were supposed to be adopted two years ago, but are still stuck in negotiations; the EU is lagging behind and wasting big opportunities to modernise its equipment and heating industry, which can be twice as energy efficient as it is today.
John Hontelez of the European Environmental Bureau also calls for stronger efforts: “Apart from the benefits to the environment and consumers, setting ambitious ecological rules for products sold in the EU will boost innovation and reward industrial front runners. We cannot continue postponing fundamental regulations that could tackle a huge part of the EU’s carbon footprint.”
The EU Ecodesign policy (launched in 2005) is supposed to set minimum ecological requirements on products sold in the EU. After the first nine measures adopted in 2009, 2010 has been very disappointing with only two measures passed and with heating products still under discussion. Furthermore, the coolproducts study shows that measures so far are not even enough to ensure the best cost saving solutions for consumers.
On December 1st, environmental organisations will go to the European Commission and ask there to save more energy and Euros for European consumers. The first copy of the study will be handed over to the European Commission at noon.
Read the report “Energy Savings in Practice: Potential and delivery of EU Ecodesign measures”: at www.coolproducts.eu/resources
Contacts :
- Stephane Arditi (English and French), policy officer at European Environmental Bureau (EEB) +32 2 289 10 97
- Edouard Toulouse (English and French), Ecodesign expert for ECOS. + 32 2 894 46 57
- Talitha Koek (Dutch press and English), policy officer Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment (Stichting Natuur en Milieu) +31 (0)30 234 8230
- Christian Noll (German press), Campaigner energy efficiency at BUND, + 49 -30 – 2123-2517
Notes for Editors:
COOLPRODUCTS CAMPAIGN
Consisting of environmental NGO’s: European Environmental Bureau; Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND); ECOS; Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment; Green Alliance, Ecodes; Inforse-Europe and supported by many other groups, see www.coolproducts.eu
Print quality pictures will be available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanenvironmentalbureau
For the study and more information visit:
www.coolproducts.eu (campaign website)
www.experts.coolproducts.eu (expert website)