Ahead of the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), a joint letter has been sent today to Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, where a diverse coalition of 30 associations, including the European Public Health Alliance, calls upon the European Commission to commit to phasing out the sale of new fossil-fuel-based boilers in order to reach the EU’s 2030 climate targets.
The EU’s 2030 climate target plan requires the building sector to achieve 60% emission cuts between 2015 and 2030, through the application of the energy efficiency first principle, mass deployment of renewable heating, and the phase-out of fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency’s net-zero roadmap has called for the sale of new fossil-fuel-based boilers to be ended from 2025 and the Council on 11 June 2021 called on the Commission to prepare for the phase-out of fossil-fuel-based heating and cooling appliances.
Acting now to phase out fossil-fuel-based heating technologies will send a strong signal to investors and can give Europe a first-mover advantage in an area that will see rapid global growth in the near future. Given the EU’s strong renewable heating manufacturing base this can decrease our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Moreover, clean heating technologies will improve air quality, resulting in health benefits and increased productivity for European citizens.
