Lunch debate The employment potential of the

directive for energy efficiency

The Voice of Construction Crafts and SMEs in Europe

7th February 2012

Riccardo ViaggiSecretary general

European Builders ConfederationThe Voice of Construction Crafts and SMEs in Europe

Established in 1990

• 20 members & partners - 16 countries

• 2 million construction SMEs

• Exclusively crafts and SMEs

The EU Construction Sector

3 million enterprises 92% < 10 employees

80% of the turnover67% of the employment

The employment potential

• Energy efficiency retrofitting is a growth measure

• Energy efficiency directive

– Difficult to estimate precisely – depends on application in MS

– Energy efficiency market potential of € 50 bln

– ESCO market to be developed (€ 1 bln in EU / € 8 bln in US)

• European studies

– Scenarios: 430,000 new ‘green’ jobs in construction (EuroFound)

– Estimate: 1.4 million qualified workers needed in building retrofitting (EC)

The example from the ground

De Noordboom and EURABO (Belgium)

• Last 4 years: turnover quadrupled and jobs doubled (from 20 to 41 people)

• THANKS to positive mix of regulation & incentive schemes

– to be assessed and reviewed BUT in a fix framework for at least 5 years

• Leading public sector role – Flanders’ passive schools

BUT

• Not enough awareness of companies – some clients were turned down

– Supply-side of the market is underperforming

• STOP of Belgian public schemes & incentives – losses foreseeable

1. Adequate resources for important policy goals

2. Austerity VS productive investments & growth measures

3. Market development needs to be facilitated

- SMEs included in ESCO market – partnership with obligated parties

- Groupings & consortia of SMEs must be created and encouraged

- Innovative financial engineering to deliver EPC

4. Stable public schemes to finance retrofitting

- VAT reduction – 0% lending – real use of ERDF (all housing)

5. Adequate training & qualification programmes

Find our position on www.eubuilders.org

Part of the solution