Policy Instruments for the Energy Efficiency Sector: Enabling Mechanisms for a “Fit for 55” Efficient Transition (PIREES55)

Launched under Sciences Po’s Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Public Policies (LIEPP), the goal of the PIREES55 project is to shed light on the enabling mechanisms needed to reach the proposed targets of the European Commission’s “Fit for 55” legislative package in the energy efficiency field.

Project Description

The “Fit for 55” package adopted on 14 July 2021 by the European Commission includes an amendment to the Energy Efficiency Directive, aligning its provisions with the new -55% greenhouse gas target. The aim of PIREES55 is to analyse the enabling mechanisms to achieve climate targets and how these can be translated into policy orientations and strategies. This mainly concerns the residential sector, which in 2020 accounted for, on average, 27.4% of final energy and almost 700 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in the EU. The United Kingdom shows different trends with final energy consumption rising to almost 30%. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings can significantly reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, while stimulating job creation and making energy more affordable for households. The overall objective of this research project is to understand the human, technical and political factors to promote the successful implementation of policy instruments oriented towards improving energy efficiency in residential buildings.

Publications

‣ From policy to practice: The role of national policy instruments and social barriers in UK energy efficiency adoption in households
Cristina Peñasco
November 2024
Energy Policy
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114308

Project Leaders

• Marc Ringel (European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition, Sciences Po)
• Cristina Peñasco (University of Cambridge)

Project Poster