Developing Energy Efficiency Projects in SMEs for European 2050 targets

Introduction

Since businesses represented about 74% of the EU’s final energy consumption, depending on their energy intensity and technology level, they are introducing energy auditing and uptake of the measures. However, some sectors are not in the primary focus of the auditing companies, and they do not consider energy as their major concern.

Importance of the Furniture Industry

Europe still plays a key role in the global furniture industry. With a market value of nearly EUR 100 billion, it is the second-largest furniture market in the world and the most integrated one (over 80% of the demand is satisfied by EU production). Additionally, in the four included Member States, the furniture industry is among the most important industries.

DEESME 2050 Project

Therefore, DEESME 2050 has identified this sector as important for the EU economy. In the 2020 annual report, the European Furniture Industry Confederation explicitly supports the climate-neutrality objectives of the European Green Deal and the transition to a circular economy. The furniture sector has 130,000 companies, and without the value chain included, it employs more than one million people and mostly involves SMEs.

Objectives of the Project

The general objective of the DEESME 2050 project is to use the EU Corporate Covenant initiative and develop the DEESME multiple benefits approach to capacitate, assist, and motivate companies to overcome the obstacles in energy efficiency measures uptake.

Implementation Strategy

This is to be done through:

• Involvement, support, and accompanying a significant number of companies in the implementation of energy efficiency measures based on their level of readiness.
• Building capacities of the companies’ staff on all working levels.
• Endorsing sustainability of the proposed actions through preparation of financing, standardization, and replication, in cooperation with associations and policymakers.