The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise supports the goal of the EU achieving net zero by 2050, and we actively contribute to discussions on how the EU can best achieve the tougher 2030 goal. The cornerstones of Sweden’s and EU-wide climate policy must be based on cost-effectiveness and policies that strengthen competitiveness and avoid carbon leakage. An important tool for achieving these goals will be to consume energy as efficiently and intelligently as possible. To enable companies to decide on the most cost-effective solutions, clear and well-defined legislation is needed.
Swedish Enterprise wishes to express the following views on the European Commission’s proposals for the energy efficiency directive:
• EU directives should focus on their primary goals, which in this case is energy efficiency. It is problematic when different directives regulate the same areas and therefore the Commission should ensure that overlap is minimized.
• It is very important that the EU’s energy efficiency goals do not limit the development we now see in Sweden by setting a ceiling on energy use.
• The directive’s top priority should be to contribute to achieving climate neutrality and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The core principle of the directive, Energy Efficiency First, risks creating competing goals that do not primarily promote climate goals. The principle needs to be further clarified to better reflect the overall climate goals.
• Swedish Enterprise welcomes the Commission’s proposal that energy mapping requirements are based on companies’ energy use rather than their size.