This petition is run by WeMove Europe

Why is this important?

Images of floods and fires destroying houses and taking lives in the past few months are still fresh in our minds. Climate change is behind these meteorological extremes.

Making homes more energy efficient is amongst the most effective ways to stop climate change. Over a third of global emissions are caused by buildings.

Keeping our homes warm, or cool, uses a lot of energy. Without proper insulation loads of energy is wasted. Considering 70% of European buildings are energy inefficient, this is a big problem. We need a home renovation revolution, now. 

Our governments need to see the link between energy efficient homes, independence from fossil fuels and an end to floods-and-fires-inducing climate change. That’s precisely what the European Commission is proposing, but EU governments are playing deaf, because they have other priorities. 

But the energy price crisis is forcing them to pay attention. Ministers for the environment from all over the EU will gather tomorrow. Our community of hundreds of thousands of people has the power to make enough noise to have them listen to our message: we want an ambitious home renovation revolution, one that prioritises people in need. 

More concretely, we call on our representatives to use all tools, legislative and financial, available to ensure that the renovation wave is highly ambitious and that it is designed to lift the most vulnerable out of energy poverty. For this purpose we need:

• A binding energy efficiency goal of at least 45% by 2030
• Minimum energy performance standards for the whole stock, including the residential sector, linked to a deep renovation definition of at least 75% energy savings
• Focus the renovation wave first on low-income households
• Proper financing of Social Climate Fund, beyond revenues from Emissions Trade System