The European Commission has published the long awaited Heating and Cooling Strategy, putting for the very first time the heat sector on the map of EU policymaking. COGEN Europe welcomes the Strategy and is hopeful that it will support better and more consistent European energy and climate policies, where the cogeneration principle plays a key role.

As an integral part of its European Energy Union framework, the Heating and Cooling Strategy correctly identifies that heat represents half of the EU's energy consumption. It goes on by highlighting that significant greenhouse gases emissions reductions and efficiency gains can be reaped in the space heating sub-sector.

Furthermore, the Strategy rightly assesses the current situation in industries, where decarbonisation of heat is more complex. It is key that heat demand is not seen as purely seasonal, as heat is also central to fuelling the European industrial economy.

In this year of delivery for the European Commission, with the upcoming reviews of the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the Renewable Energy Directive and Electricity Market Design to list but a few, moving forward with a system wide approach when devising policies would unveil the local and societal benefits of cogeneration systems.

It is worth recalling that existing CHP technologies if further deployed in businesses, public, commercial and residential buildings can substantially cut primary energy consumptions and consequently CO2 emissions.

Roberto Francia, COGEN Europe Managing Director, commented: "The Heating and Cooling Strategy presented this week represents a milestone for the implementation of the Energy Union vision. COGEN Europe is committed to keeping this momentum by continuing to engage with the European institutions and with other stakeholders to promote a greater uptake of cogeneration technologies, as a way to enhance energy efficiency, reduce energy imports, decrease emissions of GHG and of other pollutants, reduce energy costs for consumers and stimulate jobs and growth at local level".

The Strategy and other EU and national level policy and market developments will be debated by the CHP industry at COGEN Europe's Annual Conference "The Power of Heat" on 22-23 March in Brussels. The programme is now available and the registration is opened.

COGEN Europe will continue to engage with the European Commission to make sure the spirit of this landmark Communication rolls across the full range of energy and climate policies being developed and reviewed this year.