The European Commission has taken an important new step towards accelerating Europe’s clean energy transition. On 10 March 2026, it adopted the Clean Energy Investment Strategy (COM/2026/116), a policy package designed to unlock more private finance for clean energy, energy efficiency and related infrastructure across the EU.
The strategy comes at a crucial moment, as Europe faces a major investment challenge in the years ahead. To meet its climate and energy goals, the EU will need to mobilise hundreds of billions of euros annually. The Commission’s new approach aims to make clean energy projects more attractive to investors by reducing risks, improving financing conditions and strengthening the role of public support in leveraging private capital.
For the renovation sector, the message is clear: energy efficiency is now firmly at the centre of Europe’s investment agenda. Among the key measures announced is a €500 million pilot scheme to support the development of energy efficiency as a service models. This can help create new opportunities for financing renovation projects in a more accessible and scalable way.
The strategy was presented together with several complementary actions on energy efficiency financing, including a new report, a recommendation on unlocking private investment, and guidance on setting up one-stop shops for energy renovations. These one-stop shops are particularly relevant for citizens and building owners, as they can provide practical help throughout the renovation journey, from technical advice to financing and implementation support.
This new EU package is highly relevant for RENOINVEST. It confirms the growing importance of innovative financing models, stronger public-private cooperation, better project aggregation, and practical support structures that can turn renovation demand into real investment. These are all core elements of the RENOINVEST approach.
For stakeholders across Central and Eastern Europe, the Commission’s strategy sends a strong and timely signal: building renovation and energy efficiency are no longer side issues, but key pillars of Europe’s wider clean energy transition. This creates a more favourable framework for scaling up renovation finance and advancing practical solutions that make deep renovation more attractive and more achievable.
Source: European Commission, Clean Energy Investment Strategy (COM/2026/116), adopted on 10 March 2026.
