The use of renewable energy sources for heating and cooling has made significant progress in the European Union, reaching a 26.2% share in 2023, the highest figure since data collection began in 2004, when it was reported at 11.7%. This increase of 1.2 percentage points compared to the previous year’s 25% is a clear indicator of European countries’ commitment to transitioning to cleaner energies. The recent EU directive, enacted on October 18, 2023, guides member states to increase their annual average share of renewable energies for heating and cooling by at least 0.8 percentage points between 2021 and 2025, and by 1.1 points between 2026 and 2030.
Growth in the consumption of renewable energies for heating and cooling is reflected in two key sectors: biomass and heat pumps, which are responsible for the majority of this progress. At a country level, Sweden stands out as the leader in the use of renewable energies in these areas, reaching an impressive 67.1%, followed by Estonia at 66.7%. Both countries heavily rely on biomass and heat pumps as primary sources. Latvia completes the podium with a focus on biomass at 61.4%.
On the other hand, Ireland ranks last in the use of renewable energies for heating and cooling, with a meager 7.9% share. The Netherlands and Belgium follow with 10.2% and 11.3%, respectively. A comparative analysis between 2022 and 2023 reveals that 21 EU countries have managed to increase their proportion of renewable sources in these uses, with Austria leading the increases with an impressive rise of 8.1 percentage points, followed by Malta (+7.5 pp) and Greece (+4.9 pp). However, there are countries that have seen declines, such as Sweden, which dropped by 2.7 pp, along with Poland and Slovakia, which also reported significant decreases.
These data underscore a relevant movement towards sustainability in the EU, although they also reveal the need for sustained and coordinated efforts by all member states to achieve the renewable energy goals set out in EU policies.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
