Energy Efficiency in the Nordics
While they share common goals, each Nordic country tailors its strategies to its specific context. By integrating regulatory policies with voluntary measures, they foster innovation and encourage the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. This dual approach balances mandatory compliance with incentives for proactive industry participation, accelerating progress toward sustainability.
This report presents the findings of a project initiated by the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Energy Policy (EK-E). The project aims to enhance knowledge sharing and collaboration among Nordic countries in their pursuit of energy efficiency goals. In response to the EU’s comprehensive directives and detailed energy efficiency requirements, the report maps and analyses the experiences of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
Report recommendations:
- Prioritizing strategic measures towards common goals
Policy development should promote collaboration on strategic measures aligned with the national and European Union (EU) goals. - Leveraging exemplary initiatives and supporting transferability
Several exemplary initiatives from Nordic countries have demonstrated success and offer transferable models for other regions. Examples of successful and scalable initiatives is Denmark’s minimum requirement targets for energy saving in new and existing buildings and the energy-saving scheme for energy companies. - Addressing barriers to energy efficiency implementation
Despite a high level of policy awareness in terms of both national and EU regulations, barriers such as financial constraints, short-term planning, and fragmented policies persist. Increasing the financial incentives, simplifying subsidy schemes, and enhancing intergovernmental policy coordination could address these issues and encourage broader adoption of energy efficiency solutions. - Understanding changes in households’ energy behaviour
The global energy crisis of 2021–2023 exposed households to high energy prices, sparked heated public debate, and resulted in government intervention to protect households from the worst of the price shock.