This is the final report of the enefirst project. It highlights the main lessons learned as well as the recommendations for operationalising EE1st at national level.
Introducing EE1st as an overarching principle is not sufficient to secure its execution: its implementation needs to be carefully planned. Adjustments to decision-making, governance structures and the right incentives in investment frameworks need to be introduced across all areas, including in building policies, the power sector, climate action, governance systems, etc. Implementing EE1st is not necessarily about adopting new policies: it is firstly about ensuring that the existing policies and regulations are in line with the EE1st principle.
National and local specificities, including complex governance structures, must be taken into consideration to avoid unsuitable ‘one-fits-all’ approaches that will not grasp and address the complexity of a system originally designed to serve different needs and secure supply first. Whatever the governance structure in the country, a clear definition of the main roles according to the jurisdiction levels is essential to enable cooperation, and thereby bring about integrated approaches.