Phasing out new fossil-fuel based boilers is vital to achieving the EU’s climate commitments

Phasing out new fossil-fuel based boilers is vital to achieving the EU’s climate commitments

A letter signed by Solar Heat Europe and 30 businesses, NGOs, and city representatives has been sent to Frans Timmermans calling for a phase-out to the sale of new fossil fuel boilers.

Despite ambitious EU targets for carbon neutrality by 2050, and a 55% reduction target by 2030, the European Commission’s draft revision to ecodesign regulation would allow the continued sale and installation of new gas boilers in the EU for at least the next decade. This means that there could be millions of fossil-fuel boilers in European homes well into the 2050s – (by which time the EU is supposed to have reached Net Zero).  There are currently around 129 million boilers (of all types) installed in the EU. More than 50% of which are very inefficient, ranked in C or lower energy classes in the Energy Label. More than 80% of all space heating equipment installed in Europe is fired by fossil sources.

Last May, the International Energy Agency (IEA) recommended the introduction of bans on new fossil fuel boilers to start being introduced globally in 2025. Permitting the sale of fossil fuel boilers and heaters in the EU after that year risks undermining the efforts that several member states are making towards preventing new sales of old, polluting heating technology.

Member state experts will meet to discuss the proposals on 27-28 September – followed by a vote in the coming months. A media briefing on the outcomes of the meeting will be held on Tuesday, 28 September at 09:00AM CEST – Register here.

Read more here.

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