Marina Lyubimova
⬤ Renewable energy made up 26.7% of all heating and cooling across the European Union in 2024, new data reveals. The numbers show a huge gap between countries doing well and those falling behind in switching to cleaner energy sources for heating homes and buildings.
⬤ Sweden came out on top by far, getting 67.8% of its heating and cooling from renewables. Finland wasn't far behind at 62.6%, putting both Nordic nations way ahead of everyone else. These countries have built their energy systems around renewable sources, while most of the EU is still catching up.
The figures measure the percentage of total energy used for heating and cooling that came from renewable sources during the year.
⬤ Ireland sat at the bottom with only 7.9% renewable heating and cooling—nearly nine times less than Sweden. The Netherlands and Belgium both hit 11.3%, also struggling to transition away from traditional energy sources. Most countries landed somewhere between 20% and 35%, showing just how differently EU members are approaching this shift.
⬤ These numbers matter because heating and cooling eat up a massive chunk of Europe's total energy use. The wide spread between countries affects how energy flows across the continent and shows that EU nations are taking very different paths toward cleaner heating systems. Some are racing ahead while others are barely getting started.
Marina Lyubimova
