Need for binding targets and national plans to support the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector

Apr. 12, 2021, 80% of European consumers heat their homes with fossil fuels and the sector is responsible for one third of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. To meet our carbon neutrality goals, consumers will need to shift to sustainable heating systems, primarily smart heat pumps, sustainable district heating, solar thermal heat and geothermal technologies. As the average lifetime of a heating appliance is 15-20 years, the switch will need to happen rapidly as the purchasing decisions we make in the next decade will define the way we heat our homes in 2050.