Communicating on renewables, an example from EREC

Eleanor Smith – Communication & Policy Officersmith@erec.org

RE-COMMUNICATE, 12th February 2013

EREC Member Associations

Outline of the presentation

■ EREC’s communication activities summed-up

■ Key challenges facing renewables

■ One example of a communication activity

… in the framework of the project:

EREC’s Communication Activities■ EREC Media Communication Group started up late 2011

■ Terms of reference give the scope of the activities (2012)

“The objective of this group is to ensure strategic communication on EREC’s policy

priorities and that the European renewable energy industry really has one voice.

Strengthening and collaborating in media related activities will be essential for

ensuring that EREC’s policy needs are heard.”

■ The scope of the group is the following:

� Press Activities (based on a 6-month policy calendar)

� Press Releases

� Responding to Media Coverage

■ Other topics fall into the remit of the COM Group (collaboration with

magazines, events with media relevance like EUSEW, Energy Europe, etc.)

5%

5.3%

1.1%

2.6%

9.1%

6.7%

2.4%

7.4%

5.6%

5.8%

7.2%

6.3%

4.6%

1.6%

2.5%

4.6%

3.2%

4.5%

6.1%

5.2%

2.3%

2%

3.5%

1.8 %

4%

5.6%

8.2%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

2.2%

9.4%

6.1%

17.0%

5.8%

18%

3.1%

6.9%

8.7%

10.3%

5.2%

2.9%

34.9%

15%

0.9%

4.3%

2.4%

23.3%

7.2%

20.5%

17.8%

16%

6.7%

28.5%

1.3%

39.8%

0%

Additional effort based on GDP per capita

RES share in 2005

Flat rateincrease of 5.5%

BE

BG

CZ

DK

DE

EE

IE

EL

ES

FR

IT

CY

LV

LT

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT

RO

SI

SK

FI

SE

UK

EU 50%

cap

Figures adjusted byearly starter bonus

-0.9%

-1.3%

-1.2%1.4

0.7

4.7%

-0.9%

7.5% -1.6%

1.5

20% by 2020 Target broken down by Member State

Source: Eurostat - European Commission “Statistical Pocketbook 2012”

21 MS are above their 2011/2012 interim target, including Denmark,

Germany, Lithuania or Finland

6 MS are below their 2011/2012 interim target, including Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands or UK

AAGRs needed to achieve 2020 targets

Source: EREC based on 2010 Eurostat data

Meeting the 2020 target: what do Member States say?

� EU-27: Surplus of about 1% above the

2020 target

� 25 MS forecast to achieve or exceed

their binding 2020 target within

national borders

� Only Italy and Luxembourg plan to

resort to CoopMex to meet their

binding 2020 targets

Source: EREC

The Keep on track! project aims at ensuring that EU Member States stay

on track while reaching their renewable energy trajectory as set in the RES Directive

... The EU needs to “Keep on track”!

Keep on track! concrete goals...

� Facilitate the implementation of the RES Directive at a national level (following the

process already started with the REPAP2020 project www.repap2020.eu)

� Create an early warning system to alert those Member States that are deviating

from their trajectory

� Help them to keep on track by:

� identification of main barriers to RES development

� market, legal and political advice and recommendations

� MS Progress Reports: EU met the 2012 milestone in 2010 (according to 11 national

renewable energy associations)

� However, this positive picture hides a gloomy outlook…

� Due to abrupt regulatory changes, notably retroactive changes observed in several

countries (ES, BU) or the moratorium on new renewable energy developments (PT),

the EU could miss its overall 2020 renewable energy target, contrary to previous

assumptions.

� Another issue concerns the heating sector where most MS introduce first and

foremost ‘stop and go’ measures, harming investor confidence

Is the EU “on track”?

General Goals of the “Keep on track!”

Communication Strategy

■ Make the project visible

■ Define common messages

■ Disseminate these messages via events and campaigns

■ Anticipate key upcoming legislation at national level & link events to that

■ Bring national and EU levels closer together (eg. inform Brussels better

about what’s going on in the Member States)

Target Groups & Objectives

Target Group Objective Responsible Partners

EU Institutions Keep informed about

implementation of the RES Directive

& motivate action if needed

EREC

National Policy Makers Encourage MPs to support better

implementation of RES Directive

EUFORES

National Administration &

Authorities

Bring member states back on track

in case of deviations through our

recommendations

NANs

Regional and Local Policy Makers Provide targeted info via legal

helpdesk

NANs

RES Industry Initiate dialogue on RES issues betw.

RES assoc/actors & nat. authorities

EREC

Media Spread awareness by reaching

decision makers and citizens (EU,

national, regional, local, specialised,

social media)& using opinion leaders

EREC (EU, specialised), NANs

(national, regional, local, specialised,

other)

Corporate Identity

■ Logo Variations

■ Communication Design Materials

■ Website

■ Word doc template

■ PPT template

■ Social Networks (Twitter, Facebook)

Communication Activities & Means

■ Media Campaigns■ EU Media (EREC, EUFORES)

■ National Media (NANs)

■ Regional & Local Media (NANs)

■ Events

■ KoT EU events

■ KoT National events

■ Local events

■ Specialised events

■ Citizen events

Planning of Activities & Responsibilities – 1/2

■ Define a common schedule for communication activities■ Decide which topics to communicate on as a consortium■ Definition of responsibilities

Planning of Activities & Responsibilities – 2/2

Key Legislation

Dossiers Publication date

EU legislation / National

legislation (country

acronym)

Aim

Keep on Track PR or

communication

campaign

Responsible partner Comments

EC Progress report on the

Member States Progress

Reports

December 2012 / January 2013 EU

Analyse Member States

progress reports; Report

planned under the RES

Directive.

KoT PR EREC- LT

SEN (Strategia Energetica

Nazionale)January 2013 (expected) IT

The document, expected for

several years, outlines the

national energy strategy to be

pursued in the coming years

APER Communication to our member, elaboration of proposals

Conto Energia Termico December 2012 IT

Dual purpose of boosting the

production of thermal energy

from renewable sources

(biomass, heat pumps, water

heater panels, solar air

conditioning) and accelerate

projects for upgrading the

energy efficiency of buildings

APER Communication to our member

Success Monitoring

■ Media Clippings (press coverage, popularity on social media)

■ Policy Clippings (changes in policy text)

We need to use the results!!!

Eleanor Smith – Communication & Policy Officersmith@erec.org

Thank you for your attention!

www.erec.org

E: smith@erec.org