|
|
|
|
|
Watch out for 2019!
An extraordinary year ahead for the EU and Glass for Europe
|
|
|
|
Years of institutional reshuffles, with elections to the European Parliament and a new Commission to be appointed, are often perceived as years of transition with supposedly lower activity for EU affairs professionals. Watch out for 2019! The stage is set to make it quite an extraordinary year for both the EU institutions and Glass for Europe.
|
|
|
|
Next May’s elections to the European Parliament are unpredictable as ever, with the emergence of new political forces across EU countries, many of which with a Eurosceptic rhetoric. This political dynamic is likely to impact the composition of the next European Commission and could possibly lead to alterations of the EU policy agenda for the decade to come. In the same vein, no one is fully able to grasp if and how BREXIT will happen, under which terms, how large could the economic consequences be and what will the impact be on EU policies. A strong advocate of economic liberalism could no longer be around the Council table at times of deliberation as of April. For Glass for Europe, understanding these changes, analysing their impacts, helping the flat glass sector navigating in this new environment and building new relays will be major tasks this year.
|
2019 landmarks for Glass for Europe are to be found in two major pieces of work, which are being finalised and will be unveiled in the months to come. First, an in-depth study realised by the Dutch scientific institute TNO quantifying energy and CO2 savings from high performance glazing will be made public. This update to the previous TNO study goes much further than the initial 2008 work by computing impacts of several window replacement rates and by extending to both the 2030 and 2050 horizons. It will provide a wealth of data and evidence for the entire sector to work with to support window retrofitting and glazing updates in Europe. In Spring, Glass for Europe will release the flat glass sector’s strategic contribution to help unfold the EU’s long-term decarbonisation vision. Taking stock of the EU’s aspiration, the opportunities it can generate for industry but also the numerous challenges and outstanding bottlenecks, this document intends to show how a ‘willing’ value-chain embarks in this decarbonisation journey and can be best supported in its efforts.
|
As you will also read in this newsletter, many other topics will keep Glass for Europe busy in 2019. Other studies, test reports, evidence will be developed and brought to the industry’s knowledge while the work towards a better understanding and recognition or our industrial sector by decision-makers goes on.
|
|
There is so much in the pipeline that I can only invite you to watch for Glass for Europe in 2019!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The long-term decarbonisation of Europe can be an engine of sustainable prosperity in Europe’s flat glass sector
|
|
|
Glass for Europe, the trade association of Europe’s flat glass sector, welcomes today’s release by the European Commission of the ’Clean Planet for All’ communication on a European strategic long-term vision for a climate neutral economy, …
|
|
Grasping the benefits of Window Energy Labels
|
|
|
Energy labelling has demonstrated to be among the most efficient way to promote energy savings and CO2 emission reductions awhile supporting the uptake of energy efficient products by empowering consumers. Glass for Europe has always been supportive of a meaningful European label for windows. Since September 2015, the European Commission has put on-hold its project of developing such a tool …
|
|
Glass for Europe at UDTVP’s Journée Technique Transformateurs 2018
|
|
|
On 4 October 2018, Glass for Europe’s Secretary General was in Paris to attend the “Journée Technique Transformateurs 2018”, an event organised by its national partner UDTVP – Union des Transformateurs de Verre Plat, which represents the interests of flat glass transformers in France. Bertrand Cazes, Glass for Europe’s Secretary General, illustrated the main activities pursued by …
|
|
Glass for Europe at Innovative Glazing Global Summit
|
|
|
On 29 and 30 November 2018, Glass for Europe was in Vienna, to participate in the 3rd Annual Innovative Glazing Global Summit. The summit, which gathers flat glass stakeholders, architects and building professional from all over Europe, allows participants to learn more , …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A proper implementation of the revised EPBD is key for the flat glass industry
|
|
During the last months, Glass for Europe has been active in promoting the role of glazing in improving the energy performance of buildings and to ensure that the implementation of the reviewed EPBD allows the European building stock to deliver its energy savings potential.
|
The potential to save energy thanks to glazing is extremely high, considering that today’s average insulation performance (u-value) of windows installed on Europe’s building is around 3.4 Uw. This data confirms previous studies made by TNO for Glass for Europe and shows how EU buildings are still largely equipped with inefficient windows.
|
Next to this harsh reality, a study by Ecofys identified the minimum performance requirements for window retrofitting across Europe. To Glass for Europe’s views, this study shows that current national legislations are not supporting the uptake of highly efficient windows. In most Member States, minimum performance requirements set at national level are extremely low and many legislative loopholes exist so that even less-performing windows are still installed. Urgent reforms are needed and the implementation of the reviewed EPBD offers precisely this opportunity.
|
Glass for Europe believes that by way of more appropriate methodology to assess the energy performance of windows, major savings can be achieved across the EU. Such a proper assessment of the energy performance of windows, based on the ‘energy balance’ concept would support the uptake of best performing glazing solutions and improve the overall energy performance of the European building stock.
|
Glass for Europe shares this view with other windows stakeholders such as European Aluminium, EuroWindoor, ES-SO and FAECF. On a common position paper, the window sector called for increasing the replacement rate of windows as part of the long-term renovation strategy, for applying the “energy balance” approach to evaluate the energy performance of windows and for acknowledging the benefits of daylight, natural ventilation and solar management in national legislation.
|
During the first semester of 2019, Glass for Europe will release a new study commissioned to TNO on energy savings and CO2 emission reduction potential from high performance glazing. This scientific paper will provide projections for the future based on different scenarios for window replacement rates.
|
|
|
|
Performance requirements: windows we install today will deliver energy savings for coming decades
|
|
|
Setting ambitious minimum performance requirements for windows and guaranteeing proper enforcement are key conditions to ensure that glazing deliver its full benefits to reducing energy consumption from Europe’s building stock. New recent data on the average energy performance of glazed products already installed in buildings across Europe come as a baffling reminder that too much energy is uselessly wasted in …
|
|
|
|
The European Commission should encourage Member States to apply the energy balance for windows
|
|
|
The revised Energy Performance of Building has gotten to the heart of the implementation process and the European Commission is already drafting its guidelines to instruct Member States about the novelties included in the new text. It is against this background that Glass for Europe releases today a position paper on the benefits of energy balance approach to calls on …
|
|
EPBD implementation to unleash the energy savings potential of windows
|
|
|
The massive energy savings potential of high performing windows remains largely untapped in the European Union. If properly implemented, the 2018-amended Energy Performance of Buildings Directive could provide the right legislative framework to overcome the remaining barriers which still prevent savings from state-of-the-art windows to be realised. In a common position paper, the building glass, façade and window industries represented …
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product and Organisation Environmental Footprint (PEF and OEF)
Answer to EC consultation
|
|
|
Glass for Europe answered to the consultation of the European Commission on the potential policy application of Product and Organisation Environmental Footprint (PEF and OEF). While PEF is being developed by the European Commission as a useful instrument to evaluate and benchmark the environmental impacts of final products in the EU, Glass for Europe stresses, alongside Construction Products Europe, that …
|
|
|
|
EU Industry pivotal to enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy
|
|
|
According to the report released by the Institute for European Studies (IES) - Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the flat glass industry and other energy intensive sectors are essential to enable the transition to a low-carbon economy. The report provides new insights into the debate around the coming EU Commission’s Strategy for …
|
|
Joint Call to the candidates for the 2019 European Elections
|
|
|
The Industry4Europe coalition has released today a “Joint Call to the candidates for the 2019 European Elections” to call on the support of future MEPs to bring back industry high on the political agenda of the European Parliament. The Joint Call, which is available in 22 languages, has been co-signed by Glass for Europe and by an impressive number …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
