These European countries are the greenest at heating their buildings

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🗞️ Driving the news: Eight European countries—primarily in the Nordic and Baltic regions—now source over half of their heating and cooling energy from renewables, according to new Eurostat data
• Iceland leads with 84%, while Sweden and Estonia follow at 67%
• Yet, major economies like Germany, Spain, and Ireland lag far behind, raising concerns about the EU’s ability to meet 2030 energy goals

🔭 The context: Heating and cooling account for nearly half of the EU's total energy consumption, making them a critical front in the clean energy transition
• Countries with strong district heating infrastructure—common in the Nordics and Baltics—have advanced faster by converting centralized systems to run on geothermal, biomass, or waste heat
• By contrast, nations with scattered, gas-based residential systems face costlier and slower overhauls

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Decarbonising heating is vital for achieving climate neutrality, yet it remains one of the EU’s slowest-moving sectors
• Countries that integrate renewables here bolster energy security and reduce fossil fuel dependence, especially on Russian gas
• However, uneven progress threatens to widen the gap between ambitious targets and actual emissions cuts, especially in high-consumption countries

⏭️ What's next: Experts stress the need for targeted policies and investments in three technologies: electric heat pumps, solar thermal systems, and low-carbon district heating
• EU member states must also reform incentives, update aging building stock, and shift away from individual gas boilers
• With the EU aiming for a 49% renewable share in buildings by 2030—but currently sitting at just 26.2%—governments face mounting pressure to accelerate both infrastructure development and consumer adoption

💬 One quote: “This pace—averaging about one percentage point every two years—is far too slow to meet the EU’s climate and energy targets.” — Rana Adib, Executive Director of REN21

📈 One stat: Only France among the EU’s four largest economies surpasses the bloc’s average renewable share in heating and cooling (30%), while Ireland trails at just 8%

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