Some of the most important professional and employers’ associations in the field of energy efficiency of buildings propose to the governmental majority the allocation through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) of the amount of 4 billion euro for the energy efficiency of buildings.
According to a press release, the eleven professional and employers’ associations represent hundreds of important companies in Romania and an important part of the Romanian economy, but also tens of thousands of specialists such as architects, engineers and energy auditors.
“This amount is not chosen at random, but is equivalent to the proportion of greenhouse gas emissions that belongs to the building sector. They produce 36% of these emissions, so it should account for at least 4 billion of the 11.3 billion reserved for Romania for projects with an impact on reducing carbon emissions under the European Ecological Pact (Green Deal),” it is mentioned in the open letter addressed to the new government majority – to Ludovic Orban, Dacian Cioloş, Dan Barna and Kelemen Hunor, according to Agerpres.
According to the signatories of the letter, the resizing of the amount currently under discussion, which is of about 1.2 billion euro, should be a major goal, both in terms of the European and national obligations assumed, and because investments in building renovations bring in most economic, social and environmental benefits such as the rapid creation of new jobs, economic recovery, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the European Commission and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
According to the document, the IEA states in its report on sustainable recovery during the pandemic that “most new jobs will come from building renovation and other energy efficiency measures.” The same report emphasizes that such investments will generate jobs quickly and create them locally, not internationalize them.
The European Council recently adopted the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55%, a high goal that can only be achieved by investing in the energy efficiency of buildings, given that they are responsible for the consumption of 40% of energy and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Romania has an extremely low level of money allocations for buildings compared to the European level. For example, Bulgaria is allocating 1.5 billion for energy efficiency through PNRR, whilst it has a population about three times smaller.
“Last but not least, we want to emphasize that Romania, according to the obligations assumed by the National Renovation Strategy, will have to invest approximately 13 billion euro in the energy efficiency of buildings by 2030 to achieve its objectives for reducing gas emissions. It is a natural goal to use at least 4 billion of the funds provided by the PNRR to cover part of the necessary investment,” the letter said.