Introduction
Rolling out heat pumps is central to the clean-energy transition and to achieving carbon neutrality in line
with the goals set in the European Green Deal. All policy scenarios underpinning the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative
proposals show a significant uptake of heat pumps in all sectors, and notably in buildings. To meet the
2030 targets and deliver the needed fast decarbonisation of heat, installing boilers in new buildings and
replacing fossil-fuel boilers by newer ones should be discontinued as soon as possible.
The REPowerEU plan calls for prioritising investments in renewables and energy efficiency to reduce fossilfuel
imports and for doubling current roll-out rates of heat pumps in buildings. It also calls for a faster rollout
of large heat pumps for district heating and cooling networks.
There is an urgent need to shift to renewable and efficient heating and cooling technologies in buildings,
industry and networks. The European Commission report on the competitiveness of clean energy
technologies indicates that the roll-out of all types of heat pumps needs to accelerate further: from heat
pumps for single-family houses, large multi-apartment buildings, tertiary buildings and heat networks, to
high-temperature heat pumps for industrial applications. The Green Deal Industrial Plan points to heat
pumps as one of the key technologies to meet EU climate-neutrality goals in the Net-Zero Industry Act to
underpin industrial manufacturing.
