In the context of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, the European Commission (EC) and the Solar Impulse Foundation (SIF) announced on Thursday 14 November that they were working together to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) improve their energy efficiency by supporting pilot projects that explore new ways of improving these investments.
They are launching an initiative that forms part of the EIB Group’s 2024-2027 roadmap, aimed at boosting the competitiveness of SMEs and contributing to the EU’s climate objectives by facilitating access to affordable, energy-efficient technologies.
The plan will support the implementation of pilot projects, based on an “efficiency as a service” approach, whereby SMEs pay for results (such as light or heat) rather than for the purchase of equipment, which remains the property of the provider, thus reducing high initial investments.
Supported by the InvestEU programme, the initiative also aims to contribute to the global objective of doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030, as agreed at COP28. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)