Christina Verchere, OMV Petrom: “There is a huge opportunity here in Romania to increase the energy efficiency of all buildings”

“We believe deeply in the concept of energy efficiency. We are excited because next week (on Monday) we get to launch the first kindergarten that has been renovated to nZEB standard.

There is so much to do on the educational side. We are having sessions with all levels of education to raise awareness. Educate the young people and it will last for generations to come. Educate the young people and they will go home and tell their parents. This has always been our philosophy and we stand strongly behind that,” Christina Verchere, CEO OMV Petrom said during the Romania Eficienta Forum 2024.

But there is always a big component which I also think is about local authorities and how to work with local authorities, and how to make sure that we continue to see progress there.

One of our goals is to show local authorities what is possible, that is possible to get funding. Our goal is to see replication by local municipalities, and they can do these projects by themselves. That’s how you take it from projects to sustainable transformation.

As an energy company, OMV Petrom has a very ambitious decarbonization plan. Our goal is to contribute to Romania’s Fit for 55 and decarbonization goals through that, through our own products that we put into the market, but also through programs like Romania Eficienta really to try and change mindsets regarding renovations. We focus on schools, but we would like to see that in all buildings. There is a huge opportunity here in Romania to do that.”

Energy Policy Group (EPG), an independent think tank specializing in energy and climate policy, organizes the fifth edition of international conference Romania Eficienta Forum, which takes place in Bucharest on April 16.

This year’s Forum focuses on the newest revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), as part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, which stands out as one of the most ambitious and pivotal efforts to date in achieving the EU targets of attaining climate neutrality. The EPBD recast introduces new decarbonization instruments and strengthens existing ones: a common definition of zero-emission buildings (ZEB), tools and measures to develop and scale up renovations, and a cap on carbon embedded in construction materials.

The conference is organized by EPG within the Romania Eficienta Program, a privately endowed multiannual project (supported by OMV Petrom) that promotes energy efficiency in buildings through public information campaigns, educational programs, as well as renovation works on various public schools across the country.