Energy efficiency in buildings: Middle-class status as a trigger for the European fight against climate change
After signing the COP 21 Paris Agreement, the EU pledged to become the leading force in the transition to a low-carbon economy. To this end, a new legislative package called ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ was passed at the end of 2018. By setting targets for the energy transition, the legislation represents both a great challenge and a great opportunity for European society. The package puts energy efficiency and the active participation of consumers at its core, and so does this article. Focusing on the specific role of buildings, the article argues that the package has significantly increased the potential for the middle class to become one of the driving forces behind the energy transition. Because of specific historical and social developments, the middle class has become capable of being and willing to be involved in environmental protection, and the package has given them more tools to be so.