Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1 Summary and examples of the most common energy ef ciency policies in Europe
Classi cation
Energy
ef ciency
policy
Example
Country
Sector
Command-
and-control
Codes
Building codes
France
Household,
Tertiary
Standards
Emission performance
standards for new
passenger cars
Germany
Transport
Price
instruments
Taxes
Motor vehicle duty (with
CO 2 -based components
since 2009)
Germany
Transport
Subsidies
CHP grants program
(private sector)
Ireland
Tertiary
Tax deductions
VAT deduction in energy
ef ciency investment
France
Household
Credits
Energy saving loans
Norway
Household
Permits
EU-ETS
Germany
Industry
Tradable
obligations
White certi cates
Italy
Household,
tertiary,
industry
Information
instruments
Labels
Energy performance
certi cates for buildings
Spain
Residential,
tertiary
Audits
Compressed air ef ciently
Finland
Industry
the PATE audit model
Smart meters
and billing
information
Smart metering and billing
for SMEs
UK
Household
tertiary
Source Project ODYSSEE-MURE
indirect changes in prices. Thus, public authorities can use taxes and permits to
penalize energy consumption, and subsidies and tax deductions to stimulate energy
savings. They are usually applied on CO 2 emissions or energy consumption but
may also take the form of tax relief on appliances, loans at preferable rates etc.
Although these measures are also subject to important limitations, they are char-
acterized by a higher degree of
exibility in the way that the energy sector can
respond to the measure.
Taxes have traditionally been one of the most common instruments used by
energy and climate change policies to control energy consumption. They have been
mainly applied directly on consumption, and one of their advantages is the capacity
to generate tax revenues that can be then redirected with energy ef
ciency and
distributional purposes. Some examples of taxes are acquisition taxes for auto-
mobiles and electricity and fossil fuels taxes in the residential sector. At the same
time, governments have also introduced a large variety of direct subsidies and tax
deductions for energy ef
ciency investments in all sectors of the economy.
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