Evaluation makes key contribution to European energy policy

Each year, member states receive financial support from the European Union in an attempt to bring down energy consumption. The EU Commision has picked Ramboll Management Consulting to perform an evaluation that will help promote energy-efficient policy-making in the buildings sector.

By 2050, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions could double in the buildings sector alone, according to the latest report from the UN climate panel, IPCC.

All across Europe, nation states and regional authorities are devoted to limit their energy consumption and meet EU demands. To back these efforts, the European Commission provides financial support to the development of energy-efficient buildings, and Ramboll Management Consulting has been chosen to carry out a so-called ex-post evaluation of EU’s structural funds in the buildings industry from 2007 to 2013.

Identifying best practices
The evaluation addresses both residential and public buildings, thus representing a significant contribution to the EU Commission’s overall evaluation of cohesion policy spending during the six-year period. At the same time, the study will help identify best practices for 2014-2020 and future programming periods, while also facilitating the development of broader energy policies.

“There are still some challenging barriers in energy policy-making, especially concerning the economic prosperity of energy strategies. The evaluation will shed light on some of the most effective ways to overcome these barriers and ensure that energy policies contribute fully to improved economic performance in member states and regions”, says Henrik Rosenberg Seiding, Group Director for Ramboll’s Sustainable Societies.

The project underlines Ramboll Management Consulting’s position as a trusted partner to the European Commission and will be implemented in collaboration with Ramboll’s own Liveable Cities Lab and IEEP – the Institute for European Environmental Policies.