ACR+ releases new position paper in response to EU guidance on heating and cooling 

ACR+ has published a new position paper addressing the European Commission's recent guidance on heating and cooling aspects. This guidance focuses on the promotion of renewable energy use, particularly the inclusion of waste incineration in heating and cooling networks. ACR+ responds by reinforcing the importance of adhering to the waste hierarchy, where waste prevention, reuse, and recycling should always be prioritised before incineration and landfilling. The paper stresses that waste incineration should remain a last resort and that its primary purpose must be the safe treatment of non-recyclable waste, rather than energy production. 

In its position, ACR+ emphasises that while existing waste-to-energy infrastructures connected to district heating networks may consider heat as renewable under certain conditions, new infrastructures should not be treated as renewable energy sources. Expanding incineration infrastructure risks undermining investment in truly renewable solutions and jeopardises the EU’s broader climate goals. ACR+ calls for a stronger focus on genuine renewables, alongside the implementation of the waste hierarchy, to ensure the achievement of the EU’s 2050 decarbonisation targets and the preservation of both environmental and public health. 

Read the position paper.