The share of renewable energy, including solar, used for heating and cooling in the European Union (EU) reached 26.2% in 2023, the highest level since records began in 2004, when it stood at 11.7%.
This marks a 1.2 percentage point (pp) increase from 2022, when the share was 25.0%, according to the latest EU energy statistics.
Under EU Directive 2023/2413, adopted on October 18, 2023, member states must increase the share of renewable energy in heating and cooling by at least 0.8 pp per year from 2021 to 2025 and by at least 1.1 pp per year from 2026 to 2030.
The steady growth in renewable heating and cooling has been primarily driven by biomass and heat pump technologies.
Among EU nations, Sweden led with a 67.1% share of renewable energy in heating and cooling in 2023, followed by Estonia (66.7%) and Latvia (61.4%). Biomass and heat pumps remain the primary contributors to their renewable energy mix.
Conversely, Ireland (7.9%), the Netherlands (10.2%), and Belgium (11.3%) recorded the lowest shares of renewables in heating and cooling.
A total of 21 EU countries reported an increase in their renewable energy share in heating and cooling between 2022 and 2023. The largest increases were observed in Austria (+8.1 pp), Malta (+7.5 pp), and Greece (+4.9 pp).
However, declines were recorded in Sweden (-2.7 pp), Poland (-2.2 pp), Slovakia (-1.1 pp), Croatia (-1.0 pp), Germany (-0.5 pp), and Luxembourg (-0.1 pp).
The upward trend highlights the EU’s continued efforts to decarbonise heating and cooling, aligning with its renewable energy targets and broader climate goals.
