EfficiencyFirst, an event to promote growth and job creation in Spain

Several round tables were organised during the meeting, where pioneering companies in Energy Efficiency (EE), such as Ferrovial, have debated various issues on this matter. It was also attended by European and national political leaders such as Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy in the European Commission, and Alberto Nadal Belda, Secretary of State for Energy. During the first round table entitled "Efficiency as a priority for driving growth and job creation in Spain", speakers such as David Pocero, EE manager of Ferrovial Services; Mathieu Verley, from Danfoss; Juan van Halen, from Housing and Land; Francisco Barceló, from Scheider Electric; and Alberto Coloma, from Isover/Saint Gobain, addressed aspects related to street lighting and the housing stock in Spain and its great potential for improvement in the area of restoration and, therefore, also in the creation of quality and local jobs. David Pocero highlighted four basic aspects in EE: stabilising the legislative framework and the energy market, and promoting private investment and the investment in innovation. Pedro Linares from Economics for Energy; Jose Luis Lloret Soler from Gas Natural Fenosa; Lara Noivo Fernandes from Philips; Raquel Blanco from Iberdrola; and Manuel Villén from OHL, participated in the next round table, chaired by Peter Sweatman from the Financial Energy Efficiency Institutions Group. It dealt with the next steps for driving investments in EE in Spain. Within the political speeches, Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy in the European Commission, said that efficiency is one of the basic energy priorities for the EU and stressed the need to comply with current regulations, with an adequate transposition of European regulations into national law; the importance of renovation of existing buildings and of funding and access to European funds; and efficiency as an element inherent in the rest of measures related to energy. Meanwhile, Alberto Nadal Belda, Secretary of State for Energy, stressed that the national energy efficiency fund has been created in Spain, which together with other EU funds will enable investments of around 2,200 million euros to be made in energy efficiency. The session ended with a series of conclusions such as:

• The implementation of the European regulations in Energy Efficiency and construction (EPBD), as well as the establishment of goals within a predictable and stable regulatory framework as essential elements for ensuring investments and creating jobs in Spain.
• The importance of dialogue among the administration, companies and citizens on the priorities for investing and subsidising energy efficiency, particularly considering the available European funds and the priorities of the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) in favour of a low-carbon economy.
• Access to credit as one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome; and for this reason, national and/or European initiatives on how to prevent public investments in EE from being included in the deficit would be extremely important for the productive sector and the municipalities;
• The National Energy Efficiency Fund that the Government has implemented should be conceived as a financial vehicle capable of attracting private investments for EE, and not only as a subsidy instrument.
• Working on a definition of public-private partnership schemes in the EE sector, in particular in the urban and industrial sector.