The European Commission has proposed the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) ↗️ for consideration, which has been published on the official website of the European Commission. It is part of the industrial plan "Green Deal" and aims to increase the production of clean technologies in the EU. The goal is to achieve at least 40% of annual demand for the deployment of strategic net-zero technologies produced in the EU by 2030.
According to Bertrand Cazes, the Secretary General of Glass for Europe, the proposed measures are minimal for encouraging industrial investments. They do not fundamentally improve the business case for long-term industrial investments as they lack decisive actions to address the issue of high production costs in Europe.
Glass for Europe finds it unclear why materials for energy-efficient buildings are not included in the list of strategic zero technologies. This contradicts the European Commission's own analysis for the importance of building retrofitting, such as the wave of renovations in the EU or the "Save Gas for a Safe Winter" plan. These measures underline the importance of building retrofitting for energy savings and success in the transition away from carbon.
Currently, the NZIA is under discussion by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. However, according to Glass for Europe, it needs to be strengthened.