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These European countries are the greenest at heating their buildings

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By illuminem briefings

· 3 min read


illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ 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%

See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like ENGIE, Fortum, and Vattenfall

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