Delegation Tour and Bilateral Knowledge Exchange - Further, faster, together: Australian-German collaboration on energy efficiency in buildings

ABOUT

The building sector is responsible for more than one-third of global CO₂ emissions, making it a key emitter. Energy efficiency is a crucial element to consider when working towards saving millions of tons of CO₂ emissions in the building sector. The Australian-German energy partnership formed a sub-working group to increase international cooperation in this field and overcome challenges related to energy efficiency in the building sector. In a report published in 2020, the sub-working group outlined key areas for cooperation between the two countries and the importance of working together. One sub-working group highlight was a four-day trip to Berlin, Germany, for delegates from Australia at the end of June 2022 to discuss energy efficiency in buildings. RENAC organised the visit on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK) and in cooperation with adelphi and the Energy Efficiency Council.

The programme included meetings with the BMWK, the KfW Bank, the Deutsche Unternehmensinitiative Energieeffizienz e. V. (DENEFF), the German Heat Pump Association (bwp), and site visits to several exemplary construction projects in Berlin and its surrounding areas such as Degewo AG, Tegel Projekt GmbH and EUREF-Campus.

The major takeaway of this delegation trip was: Collaboration is the key to action!

KEY FEATURES OF THE TOUR

Meetings with and presentations by German stakeholders on regulatory, technical, and financial issues in the field of energy efficiency in the building sector.
Site visits to several exemplary contruction projects in Berlin and its surrounding areas.
Peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and networking opportunities with policymakers and financial sector and industry stakeholders seeking to advance the energy transition.
Group discussions that aimed to turn learning into actionable items.

AGENDA

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CONTACT

Cecilia Strandberg
Project Director
Tel: +49 (0)30 58 70870 42
Fax: +49 (0)30 58 70870 88
Email: strandberg[at]renac.de

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Testimonials

"I would like to thank RENAC and the German Government for hosting the other Australian delegates and me on our trip to Germany in June 2022. I recommend that anyone working towards a net zero policy in buildings join an expert exchange with RENAC. There were so many benefits from this delegation. I not only learnt from German policymakers and organisations but had the time and opportunity to learn from the other Australian delegates throughout the trip. I now have the confidence to use case studies from Germany to inform my work in Australia."

Rachel Haley, Australia, Manager, Sustainable Homes, Office of Energy and Climate Change, NSW Treasury, 2022

"I participated in the delegation tour because I believe that we should learn how other countries approach the same climate problem - in my case, that was the decarbonisation of residential properties. RENAC did a lot of planning and organised all the logistics so that I could have an effortless tour. I appreciated the thoughtfulness of the program, which was designed to give me a well-rounded view of energy efficiency in residential buildings in Germany. The tour provided me with new ideas and invaluable insights into the energy transition program in Germany within the European context."

Grace Tam, Australia, Director, Investments, Debt Markets, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, 2022

"I was honoured to spend time with my Australian and German colleagues—relationships were strengthened and collaborations were formed. It was inspiring to hear honest accounts of our German colleagues' experiences and ambitious targets. RENAC enabled us to fully immerse ourselves in the learnings as well as enjoy the wonders of Berlin. I can't wait to return."

Karla Fox-Reynolds, Australia, Principal Innovation Projects, Climate-KIC Australia, 2022

"I participated in this delegation tour to learn and share in-depth knowledge and insights on energy efficiency policy in Germany. I was also keen to connect with experienced professionals in this space and fellow energy efficiency advocates, so that together we could contribute to building a stronger energy efficiency policy landscape in Australia. The trip has definitely allowed me to fulfil both goals, enabling us to gain invaluable knowledge and insights from experts on the ground - the kind of knowledge sharing that is impossible to achieve through desktop research - and to have a deep connection and strategic thinking about what we were learning and what it meant for Australia. The most insightful for me was the detailed briefings we got from public servants and KfW experts on energy efficiency policy, which have hugely informed our thinking about Australia's dynamic policy landscape in this space."

Margot Delafoulhouze, Australia, Cities System Lead, Climateworks Centre, 2022