Headline: IASS and IDDRI launch a Franco-German Expert Dialogue on Energy Efficiency

Immediately after the large celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, IASS and IDDRI (The Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, Paris) organized a Franco-German expert dialogue on energy efficiency in Berlin on 23 January. Energy efficiency plays a key role in the energy strategies of both countries, in the German Energiewende as well as in the national debate on the energy transition in France. At the workshop altogether 40 experts from ministries, industry, financial and research institutions from both sides of the Rhine discussed incentives and regulatory measures which could lead to a better use of the potential energy efficiency holds for the building, industry and transport sectors alike.

The discussion made it clear that a close Franco-German cooperation is of utmost importance for maintaining energy efficiency high on the European agenda. European directives will continue to be important drivers for the national implementation of efficiency measures in the future. At the same time both countries can learn a lot from each other in the way these national measures are developed further. Possibilities for direct cross-border cooperation were also discussed at the workshop. A summary of the workshop discussion is available here. A second Franco-German expert session, to be held in Paris, is planned for the spring.