{"id":59018,"date":"2017-10-26T14:30:15","date_gmt":"2017-10-26T12:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/europe-to-promote-development-of-more-efficient-more-renewable-and-more-consumer-accessible-energy\/"},"modified":"2017-10-26T14:30:15","modified_gmt":"2017-10-26T12:30:15","slug":"europe-to-promote-development-of-more-efficient-more-renewable-and-more-consumer-accessible-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/europe-to-promote-development-of-more-efficient-more-renewable-and-more-consumer-accessible-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe to promote development of more efficient, more renewable and more consumer-accessible energy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Earlier today, the Climate and Energy Department of the European Commission and the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation organised a seminar in Barcelona entitled \u201cEnergy Efficiency, Renewables and Consumer Involvement\u201d<\/b> on the Winter Package<\/i> – the energy strategy proposal presented by the European Commission for achieving the European climate goals in the Paris Agreement.<\/p>\n

The event was opened by the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Ca\u00f1ete<\/b>, The State Secretary for Energy, Daniel Navia<\/b>, the Secretary for Business and Competitiveness of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Joan Aregio<\/b>, and the CEO of GAS NATURAL FENOSA, Rafael Villaseca<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Under the title of \u201cClean Energy for All Europeans\u201d, the Winter Package<\/i> is focused on the process of energy transition in three main key areas: improving energy efficiency; leadership in the profitable development of renewable energies; and greater involvement by the consumer.<\/p>\n

The European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Ca\u00f1ete<\/b>, said that \u201cthe European Union\u2019s commitment to moving towards economic decarbonisation is unstoppable; it is a duty and not simply a political choice.\u201d In fact, he explained that \u201cenergy systems are already heading towards renewable energy\u201d in a process aimed at \u201cgiving citizens clean energy, but paying less and with more competitive companies\u201d. The measures being promoted by the European Commission include financing for building renovation because \u201calmost 75% of European buildings are inefficient\u201d, said Miguel Arias Ca\u00f1ete. They also seek to increase the contribution from renewable energies in heating and cooling systems, which account for 50% of energy consumption.<\/p>\n

The CEO of GAS NATURAL FENOSA, Rafael Villaseca<\/strong>,<\/strong> explained that the company is a member of the \u201cMake Power Clean\u201d group of companies that support reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting them to 550 grCO2\/kWh so that all technologies can join a Capacity Payment Mechanism.\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWe welcome the ambitious package of regulations presented by the European Commission in December and particularly those measures that seek to send a clear signal facilitating achievement of the energy and climate goals set by the EU for 2030,\u201d said the CEO of the power company in his speech.<\/p>\n

Rafael Villaseca <\/strong>also mentioned the contribution from natural gas to sustainable mobility and stressed that \u201cmobility solutions based on natural gas will unquestionably help improve air quality in our cities and reduce emissions from the transport sector, especially maritime transport and road transport, where it is the only technically and commercially available alternative.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cElectric cars will clearly help achieve the renewables goal by increasing the demand for electricity and obtaining better use of existing generation capacity and infrastructures,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The keys: energy efficiency and renewable energies<\/h4>\n

The professor at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and author of the book entitled \u201cRe-habilitaci\u00f3n expr\u00e9s para hogares vulnerables. Soluciones de bajo coste\u201d, Margarita De Lux\u00e1n<\/b>, spoke about the energy-related refurbishment of buildings. \u201cThe energy saving potential in consumption for climate control in renovated buildings stands at 60% of current consumption,\u201d she said. Margarita De Lux\u00e1n also advocated the sustainable renovation of existing buildings.<\/p>\n

The founder and director of Product-Life Institute, Walter R. Stahel<\/b>, underlined the importance of designing energy-efficient products for which efficiency throughout their life cycle is considered. \u201cBy doubling the useful life of products, we are doubling grey energy efficiency per year that they are used,\u201d he explained. Care, re-use and social innovation are used as consumption strategies for achieving this.<\/p>\n

On behalf of the European Biogas Association, its president, Jan Stambasky<\/b>, described biomethane as a renewable gas. \u201cUse of biogas is a step towards the circular economy,\u201d suggested Jan Stambasky.<\/ins><\/p>\n

The Economics and Regulation Partner of KPMG, Carlos Sol\u00e9<\/b>, explained \u201cthe leading role to be played by natural gas in the decarbonisation<\/i> of the Spanish economy\u201d. In order to achieve the 2030 energy goals, Carlos Sol\u00e9 said that \u201cgas and renewables will allow Spain to achieve these goals in an economically efficient manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

The final part of the seminar focused on the third European goal, which relates to seeking greater involvement for consumers and users. In this regard, the new energy technologies that make greater consumer involvement possible were described. The Director for Engineering and Technological Innovation of GAS NATURAL FENOSA, Blanca Losada<\/b>, spoke about the impact of technological evolution on energy. \u201cThe decentralisation of energy and ultra-connectivity of the Internet place the consumer at the centre,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the emeritus research fellow at Oxford University and creator of the \u201cenergy poverty\u201d concept, <\/strong>Brenda Boardman<\/strong>, <\/strong>discussed the energy vulnerability problem and how to competently and rigorously mitigate that problem. \u201cFunding and economic efforts in the fight against energy poverty should be made by State budgets,\u201d she said. She went on to add that public authorities \u201cshould directly invest in insulating and streamlining energy use in households with people at risk of energy poverty, as well as educate people on how to be more efficient\u201d.<\/p>\n

Commitment to society\u2019s energy needs<\/h4>\n

Set up in 1992 by GAS NATURAL FENOSA and with a presence in every country where the company operates, the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation is tasked with educating, training and informing society, as well as raising awareness about energy and environmental issues.<\/p>\n

It also develops Social Action programmes both nationally and internationally, by influencing particular initiatives aimed at alleviating energy vulnerability. In the cultural sphere, it promotes initiatives that are geared both to preserving and disseminating the historical heritage of the gas and electricity sector through the Gas Museum and the Bolarque Museum, as well as educating and stimulating society artistically through the multidisciplinary space of the Contemporary Art Museum.<\/p>\n

Popularising energy efficiency is one of the social commitments made by GAS NATURAL FENOSA and the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, along with the special attention that the company pays to the most vulnerable people. In fact, the company currently has a package of over 20 measures aimed at strengthening and systematising the care and protection of its most vulnerable customers; a national plan that boosts the actions it was already undertaking to protect the people in most need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Climate and Energy Department of the European Commission and the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation organised an event today on the strategy proposed by the European Union to achieve the climate goals in the Paris Agreement.<\/p>\n

Gas Natural Fenosa is a member of the \u201cMake Power Clean\u201d group of companies that support reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting them to 550 grCO2\/kWh. <\/p>\n

The energy transition includes three main key areas: improving energy efficiency; leadership in the profitable development of renewable energies; and greater involvement by the consumer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1454,"featured_media":53911,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[700],"tags":[725,711],"content-type":[],"acf":[],"post_class":["post-59018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy-and-the-environment","tag-energy-efficiency","tag-seminars-en","wordpress-sticky"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59018"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1454"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59018"},{"taxonomy":"content-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fundacionnaturgy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-type?post=59018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}