Can heat pumps help decarbonise Europe’s buildings fast enough?
New tools like the REDI4Heat Knowledge Sharing Centre offer a digital space to help Member States and local authorities navigate the complexities of EU directives and national implementation.
As part of the LIFE programme, the REDI4Heat EU-funded project was launched to help reverse that trend by supporting Member States and local authorities through tools, guidance, and capacity-building activities designed to translate EU climate goals into national and local action.
On 24 June 2025, the REDI4Heat project hosted an insightful online webinar that brought together experts to discuss the path forward for renewable heating and cooling in Europe.
Rosie Christodoulaki of the Greek Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES) delivered the first presentation, outlining the state of play with the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and providing tailored recommendations for improving renewable heating and cooling strategies. Her presentation spotlighted five Member States – Greece, Poland, Portugal, Croatia, and Germany – each showing progress and unique challenges.
Greece’s updated NECP stands out for a bolder trajectory than previously anticipated: it sets a renewable energy share of 72.2% in buildings by 2030, significantly above the EU indicative target of 49%. Electrification is at the heart of this push, particularly through widespread deployment of heat pumps. Measures include a ban on new oil burners from 2025 and mandatory blending of heating oil with 30% biodiesel from 2030. By 2050, Greece aims to source 84.1% of heating and cooling from renewables.
Poland has submitted a more ambitious plan than in its 2023 draft, with clear targets that bring it close to EU averages. The emphasis is on gradually phasing out fossil fuels and boosting renewables in the residential sector. Poland’s plan reflects a more strategic alignment with EU directives than previous efforts.
Portugal, while maintaining energy consumption targets from earlier drafts, has improved its ambition on renewables. The country remains above the EU average in final energy consumption but has edged closer to EU targets on renewable share in heating and cooling, suggesting solid alignment between ambition and capacity.
Croatia’s NECP indicates strong effort, particularly with its enhanced energy consumption targets, which are well above the EU average. However, its renewable share in heating and cooling remains below average. This gap suggests a need for targeted investment in renewable infrastructure and support schemes.
Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has made notable improvements in energy consumption targets, but still falls short in renewable deployment for heating and cooling. Its projected share of renewables remains below the EU average, highlighting a key area for policy acceleration.
Across all five countries, the analysis uncovered common positive trends: more comprehensive strategies, alignment with EU laws, and improved transparency. Yet, concerns remain over gaps between targets and actual implementation, insufficient funding mechanisms, and a lack of clearly defined fossil fuel phase-out timelines.
Christodoulaki’s analysis was framed within the context of the EU’s legislative package, notably the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). These three texts form the backbone of Europe’s decarbonisation strategy.
While the Renewable Energy Directive now includes a binding annual increase of 1.1% in renewable energy used for heating and cooling from 2026 to 2030, the Energy Efficiency Directive mandates a 1.9% annual reduction in energy consumption and the renovation of 3% of public building stock each year.
The EPBD sets the stage for a full phase-out of fossil fuel boilers by 2040 and requires all new public buildings to be zero-emission from 2028. Each of these pieces of legislation demands not just policy alignment but also implementation capacity on the ground, a key area where REDI4Heat is making a tangible contribution.
Following this policy-focused presentation, Silvia Remedios of the Spanish Energy Agency ADENE introduced the REDI4Heat Knowledge Sharing Centre, a digital platform featuring several practical tools, including the Heat Transition Toolbox and the Policy Tracker, designed to make regulatory information more accessible and support evidence-based planning.
Remedios emphasised that the platform fosters collaboration rather than comparison, offering a constructive space for mutual learning.
The final presentation came from Esteban Gas of Solar Heat Europe, who shared the key outcomes of REDI4Heat’s replication workshops held in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. These sessions tested the project’s tools and methodologies in real-world settings and encouraged dialogue between actors at national and local levels.
The workshops proved that while contexts differ significantly across Europe, many of the barriers to renewable heating and cooling are shared. Gas noted that early engagement, clear guidance, and peer learning are particularly effective in helping local actors take ownership of the transition process.
For more information, visit redi4heat.ehpa.org and follow the project on LinkedIn at @REDI4HEAT.
