Energy efficiency is a triple win: for our climate, competitiveness, and security. Without improvements in energy efficiency over the last 20 years, the EU’s energy consumption today would have been about 27% higher.
Despite the undeniable advantages of energy efficiency, and the progress made, several challenges persist. They hinder progress towards the 2030 energy efficiency target of reducing the final energy consumption by 11.7%.
Energy efficiency roadmap
Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, pledged a renewed commitment towards energy efficiency at the IEA Global Energy Efficiency Conference in Brussels on 13 June 2025.
The Commission will thus centre its work on 10 concrete areas. They are accompanied by a list of deliverables and the main events will shift gears of energy efficiency action.
10 energy efficiency measures 2025-2026
1. Support and simplify implementation
The Commission will in the coming years streamline EU energy efficiency rules – including the Energy Efficiency Directive, Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and Ecodesign and Energy Labelling – and support EU countries with guidance, task forces, concerted action, and simplification tools to ensure effective and aligned implementation.
2. Mainstream energy efficiency in EU energy policymaking
The Commission will continue to integrate energy efficiency into broader EU energy strategies such as the Grids Package and the Electrification Strategy to ensure its consistent and systemic application across sectors.
3. Strengthen sector-specific policies and product standards
This includes raising standards for buildings, products, data centres, and heating/cooling by updating regulations, tackling barriers, and promoting high-efficiency solutions.
4. Facilitate financing and investment
The Commission will continue to mobilise public and private capital through coalitions, national hubs, investment platforms, EIB support, and encouraging the establishment of new investment tools to scale up energy efficiency.
5. Enhance collaboration and cooperation
Starting with the Energy Efficiency Day on 20 May 2025, the Commission will foster structured dialogue and agreements between governments, industry, and finance actors to jointly accelerate energy efficiency implementation.
6. Create a tradable energy efficiency market
As announced in the Affordable Energy Action Plan, the Commission will explore systems like white certificates and auctions to reward energy savings, attract investment, and turn efficiency into a market-driven commodity.
7. Develop skills for energy efficiency
The Commission will actively support EU countries in closing the skills gap, including through national training plans and toolkits.
8. Boost research and innovation funding and partnerships
Foster research and innovation in energy efficiency technologies to drive next-generation energy efficiency solutions in buildings and industry.
9. Promote international cooperation
The Commission will leverage global partnerships to spread best practices on energy efficient solutions in high-impact sectors, like buildings and efficient products. To deliver on the Global Pledge, the Commission will actively promote energy efficiency at COP30, including through collaboration with the Global South.
10. Increase energy efficiency awareness
Energy efficiency is a policy framework that translates into tangible, meaningful measures and actions at all level of government. For citizens and businesses to full reap its benefits, they need to be well informed about the existing rights – and obligations. This is why the Commission keeps promoting all the many aspects energy efficiency via social media and online. Various communication channels strive to reach citizens, small and medium sized enterprises, and local communities.
Deliverables
As part of its renewed commitment to energy efficiency, the European Commission will implement a series of priority actions throughout 2025 and into 2026. Key initiatives include the establishment of the Efficiency Action Forum 2030, to be launched during the Informal Council under the Danish Presidency, and the development of tripartite contracts to accelerate cross-sectoral efficiency deployment.
The Commission also plans to introduce a guarantee scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises, aiming to reduce financial barriers to energy-saving investments, and to strengthen the energy services market, beginning with a pilot project aligned with the Clean Industrial Deal and Affordable Energy Action Plan.
Additional measures encompass a dedicated data centre efficiency package, set for release alongside the Digitalisation and AI Strategy Roadmap in Q1 2026, and the introduction of both an Electrification Strategy and a Heating and Cooling Strategy. These latter strategies aim to reduce electricity demand from electrification by 10–20% and unlock 11% of EU heat demand through waste heat recovery.
The agenda will be supported by a series of high-profile events, including the Energy Efficiency Day on 20 May 2025, featuring a General Assembly of the European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition and a High-Level Dialogue with Industry.
Other milestones include the publication of the Commission’s NECPs assessment on 28 May, the EU Sustainable Energy Week from 10–12 June, and the 10th Global Energy Efficiency Conference hosted with the IEA on 12–13 June. In the second half of the year, events such as the Energy Efficiency Roundtable in October and announcements during COP30 (10–21 November) will reinforce Europe’s global leadership on energy efficiency.
