|
|
|
Energy efficiency, sustainable buildings and climate resilience have been at the heart of Glass for Europe’s advocacy this spring. As Europe faced early heat waves, we intensified our engagement on the role of high-performance glazing and ran a social media campaign highlighting how solar control glass can help mitigate overheating in buildings while improving comfort and reducing cooling needs. The topic is becoming ever more relevant as climate adaptation joins decarbonisation at the top of the European policy agenda.
|
|
|
|
The timing could hardly be more important. The European Commission is preparing key initiatives with an electrification action plan, a heating and cooling strategy, a climate resilience framework, and the implementation of ETS2, all of which will directly affect the built environment. Glass for Europe has consistently advocated that no successful strategy on affordable energy, climate resilience or building decarbonisation can be achieved without high-performance glazing and efficient building envelopes.
|
Beyond buildings, our teams remained heavily engaged on a broad range of strategic files, from the reform of the EU ETS1 and the much-debated Industrial Accelerator Act to Taxonomy and the Automotive Package. This newsletter once again illustrates how flat glass sits at the crossroads of Europe’s major challenges: competitiveness, decarbonisation, affordable housing, clean mobility and strategic autonomy. With crucial policy decisions ahead, Glass for Europe is stepping up its advocacy efforts, with new tools and initiatives currently under preparation.I wish you a restful summer!
|
Bertrand Cazes
Secretary General, Glass for Europe
|
|
|
Glass for Europe calls for a robust energy efficient legal framework post-2030
|
|
From 20 March to 12 June, the European Commission organised a public consultation on the energy efficiency framework post-2030. The goal is to ensure that energy efficiency can contribute to the EU’s climate target of a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
|
|
In its response, Glass for Europe called for a robust framework emphasising that, in addition to environmental benefits, energy efficiency also strengthens the EU’s energy security and competitiveness, and improves housing affordability. Given this, it is relevant to recognise energy efficiency as a systemic resilience tool...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe contributes to analysing National Building Renovation Plans
|
|
|
|
On 11 May, Glass for Europe, together with nine other organisations, launched the study “The delivery challenge of NBRPs”. The main takeaway is that ambition is not the issue but delivery is.
|
|
As part of the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Member States are meant to adopt National Building Renovation Plans. These plans are the evolution of the national long-term renovation strategies, which EU countries have been required to submit since 2014...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe contributes to a catalogue listing solutions for energy security
|
|
|
|
|
In support of the European Commission’s communication AccelerateEU, Glass for Europe has contributing to a catalogue presenting cross-sectoral, readily deployable energy efficiency technologies and solutions that can strengthen energy security, protect citizens from energy price spikes and enhance long-term resilience of the EU.
|
|
|
|
|
As part of its proposed measures to provide immediate and medium-term relief in the context of the ongoing energy crisis, the European Commission has explicitly recommended the introduction of targeted fiscal incentives and financial support mechanisms to accelerate the uptake of easy-to-install, clean, and energy-efficient technologies....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The European Commission encourage window replacement as part of the AccelerateEU communication
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe welcomes the strong emphasis placed on the critical role of energy efficiency in buildings as a key lever to address current economic and energy challenges.
|
|
|
|
|
The Communication follows a request from EU heads of government for concrete measures to mitigate the economic consequences of the conflict in the Middle East. It sets out a comprehensive “toolbox to bring immediate relief to European households and industries while putting Europe on a steady pathway to energy independence”...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe contributes to the consultation on the review of the EU taxonomy delegated acts
|
|
The European Commission has been working for some time on reviewing the EU taxonomy delegated acts in order to update and simplify the technical screening criteria. The public consultation closed on 14 April. Glass for Europe seized the opportunity to call for the criterion for windows to be revised.
|
|
Glass for Europe has long requested a revision of the criterion for windows under section 3.5, ‘Manufacture of energy efficiency equipment for buildings’ of the Climate Delegated Act of the EU Taxonomy. Indeed, based on the expertise of the flat glass industry, the current criterion is neither effective nor meaningful in identifying sustainable manufacturing activities. This single, uniform threshold fails to account for the substantial climatic diversity across the EU and promotes the most material-intensive windows everywhere in the EU without securing environmental payback...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe reacts to the publication of the Industrial Accelerator Act
|
|
|
Glass for Europe publishes its position paper on the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), calling for stronger recognition of the strategic importance of the flat glass sector for Europe’s industrial resilience, decarbonisation and competitiveness.
|
|
On 4 March, the European Commission adopted a regulation proposing a framework to accelerate industrial investment and decarbonisation in strategic sectors...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe publishes position paper on EU-made automotive glazing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Automotive glazing is an indispensable component for vehicles. It ensures driver visibility and passenger safety, protects against impacts, and integrates components that enable ADAS and automated driving. It also contributes to vehicles’ energy efficiency, and, when dismantled and sorted correctly at end-of-life, it is fully recyclable. The EU automotive glass sector thus plays a key role in achieving circular-economy goals in Europe...
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe attends eceee 2026 Summer Study
|
|
|
|
From 1 to 5 July, the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee) held its summer study around the Lac d’Ailette (France). The conference provided Glass for Europe with a valuable opportunity to engage in dialogue with academics, policymakers, and industry representatives on topics such as heating and cooling needs of buildings, the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), and the role of energy-efficient measures to mitigate current high energy prices.
|
|
|
|
|
Over the course of five days, the eceee 2026 Summer Study brought together experts from across the energy-efficiency community to exchange insights on the latest research, policy developments, and market trends...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe in Stockholm: what Sweden’s glazing sector is prioritising next
|
|
|
From energy-efficiency rules to overheating risk in a warming Nordic climate, conversations at Nordbygg point to a bigger role for high‑performance glazing.
|
|
On 23 April 2026, Bertrand Cazes, Secretary General of Glass for Europe, spent a day in Stockholm meeting Swedish glass and glazing stakeholders—taking the pulse of the market and aligning on shared priorities for the months ahead....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe visits Edgetech, specialised in thermally efficient spacer technology
|
|
|
|
On 31 March, Glass for Europe visited the offices of Edgetech in Heinsberg, Germany, as part of its ongoing efforts to deepen industry knowledge and collaboration. Edgetech, a specialist in thermally efficient spacer technology, welcomed representatives for an in-depth look at its operations and innovations.
|
|
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to better understand the window value chain, with a particular focus on the role of advanced spacer technology in improving energy performance. Through discussions and site insights, participants gained a clearer view of how component-level innovation contributes to overall window efficiency...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glass for Europe joins the workshop on the Educational Buildings Campaign by Renovate Europe
|
|
|
|
On 23 June, Renovate Europe gathered educators, students, policymakers and technical experts at the European Parliament to debate how educational buildings can lead the transition to a zero-emission, climate-resilient building stock by 2050.
|
|
Organised by Renovate Europe and hosted by Member of the European Parliament Marcos Ros Sempere (S&D, Spain), the roundtable on the Educational Buildings Campaign
|
|
|
|
|
highlighted the urgent need to place schools at the heart of Europe’s renovation agenda...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
