“Europe has met a landmark goal of slashing its energy consumption six years ahead of time, cutting greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to switching off about 400 power stations.
In 2014, the EU’s 28 member countries consumed 72m tonnes of oil equivalent less than had been projected for 2020, according to a report by the EU’s science arm, the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The figure matches Finland’s annual energy use.
Environmental campaigners described the achievement as “remarkable”. and “incredible” but the European commission was restrained.
“Final energy consumption is currently below the 2020 target,” a spokeswoman for the commission said. “The EU-28 are also on a good pathway to achieving the primary energy consumption target for 2020 if current efforts are maintained.”
Major energy savings were reported across all sectors in the study, with EU legislation driving efficiency gains in electrical products, industry installations, fuel economy and the housing sector.
Energy use in residential buildings fell by 9.5% between 2000 and 2014, second only to the industrial sector, where there was an energy drop of 17.6% over the same period.” …
East Devon Watch 