National Finance Roundtables for sustainable energy investments

Access to private finance for energy efficiency and integrated renewables remains a challenge in view of the climate and energy targets proposed by the European Commission for 2030 and the long-term climate neutral objective by 2050 proposed in the framework of the European Green Deal^[1]. Significant investments need to be mobilised to achieve those objectives, as well as the acceleration of the clean energy transition to phase out EU dependence on fossil fuel imports as set out in the REPowerEU plan^[2].

One obstacle to the use of private finance for energy efficiency and integrated renewables is the lack of common understanding of the topic between government, public sector, private sector and financial sector, as recognised by the Renovation Wave Communication.

The topic aims to establish national roundtables to improve dialogue, co-operation and awareness between key public and private stakeholders and build capacity in order to develop large-scale investment programmes that mobilise private finance for investments in energy efficiency and integrated renewables.

The Smart Finance for Smart Buildings initiative^[3] had proposed a comprehensive approach based on the more effective use of public funds, aggregation and project development assistance, and de-risking. The Commission is organising conferences and national roundtables in EU Member States through the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums^[4] initiative since 2016, in order to roll-out this initiative across Europe.

Proposals should set-up national roundtables focused on energy efficiency investments and small-scale integrated renewables, as permanent multilateral discussion forums gathering the relevant stakeholders, including, but not limited to government, local and regional authorities, financial sector, Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), homeowners, industry sector, construction sector and Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, consumers and citizens associations. The focus of the national roundtables should include energy renovation of existing private and/or public buildings, as well as district heating, investments in SMEs and the tertiary sector. Proposals can target regional levels in addition to the national level if relevant.

The national roundtables should act as a forum where all stakeholders can provide input into the policy making process. They should include regular thematic working groups with the relevant stakeholders, focused on specific issues. They should (among others) analyse the possibility to upscale existing best practices from the national and European level, develop strategies, roadmaps and action plans, propose improvements in the national policy frameworks and measures, and follow their implementation, develop jointly template documents and contracts leading to a better functioning of the market. Where relevant, proposals could include a component on citizen engagement to reinforce the case for sustainable energy investments.

Proposals involving only one country are eligible. In that case, they should include a small share of activities to exchange with similar roundtables across Europe; those exchanges will be coordinated by the Commission services. Proposals should build on the activities of the EU Sustainable Energy Investment Forums initiative. In case a dialogue initiative on sustainable energy financing is already in place in a targeted Member State, the proposal shall justify clearly complementarity and additionality.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 0.7 million would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Proposals may be submitted by a single applicant or by applicants from a single eligible country.

Proposals should result in permanent national (and regional if relevant) multilateral discussion forums addressing energy efficiency investments and energy renovations topics, actively engaging key stakeholders in particular from the finance sector. This should result in improved national policies allowing an increase in building energy renovation, in particular through the involvement of private finance.

Proposals should also quantify their impacts using the indicators listed below, where relevant, as well as other project-specific performance indicators:

• Number of national (and regional if relevant) policy documents resulting from the roundtables.
• Number of key stakeholders involved in the roundtables, in particular from the financial sector.
• Number of meetings of the national (and regional if relevant) roundtables including thematic working groups organised.
• Investments in sustainable energy renovation triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro).
• Primary energy savings triggered by the project (in GWh/year).
• Renewable energy generation triggered by the project (in GWh/year).

The impacts of the proposals should be demonstrated during the project and within 5 years after the project lifetime.

[1]Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The European Green Deal of 11.12.2019 COM(2019) 640 final

[2]Communication from the Commission of 8.3.2022 to the European Parliament, the European Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, REPowerEU: Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy, COM(2022) 108 final

[3]Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank Clean Energy for All Europeans of 30.11.2016, COM(2016) 860 final ANNEX 1 Accelerating clean energy in buildings