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Turning a technical policy topic into a drumbeat of media stories that reach hearts and minds
As negotiations were underway on several pieces of legislation that would make the EU’s buildings more energy efficient, 89up worked with a coalition of climate NGOs to make the case for energy efficiency and clean heating across Europe.
Key stats
200+
Pieces of coverage
38m+
Estimated overall reach
Coverage highlights:
Politico, El Pais, Cinco Dias, ANSA (IT), The Irish Times, CNN Greece, Frankfurter Rundschau, Polska Agencja Prasowa, Saarbruecker Zeitung, Napady Nazory (CZ), i.PL, Huffington Post Italy, La Vanguardia
The challenge
In 2023, the EU was negotiating several pieces of legislation which would shape the future of the EU’s buildings. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive could set clear minimum standards for the energy performance of buildings, and Ecodesign could ensure a phase-out of gas boilers.
Buildings are responsible for 36% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. But the highly technical nature of policies, coupled with the complexities of negotiations in Brussels, meant that the topic was largely overlooked by both traditional Brussels and national media.
We needed to raise the profile of the topic in the media and among the public in order to put pressure on policymakers to keep ambition high.
At the same time, the influential pro-gas lobby sought to weaken political ambition, advancing narratives within European institutions that promoted the use of hydrogen and advocated for a delayed transition - narratives that ultimately served their vested interests in preserving the status quo.
The solution
Working with a multitude of partner organisations both at the Brussels and national levels, we ran a proactive press office function over the course of a year, focusing on shaping media stories that would promote energy efficiency and clean heating.
Several media stories were built with an emotional angle: We seized on heat waves as an opportunity to highlight the need for resilient buildings to protect the elderly. We illustrated the impact of poor-quality buildings on children’s health to campaign for school renovations. We placed a story celebrating a Spanish village pioneering community-led clean heating - a piece that later received a journalism award in Spain.
Other stories were built with economic or political angles: We commissioned a study showing the national return on investment through energy bills by renovating buildings to a minimum standard. We highlighted how much russian gas would be saved with strong policies to decarbonise buildings. We investigated and reported intransparent lobbying efforts by the fossil fuel boiler industry and debunked myths on hydrogen heating.
This created a drumbeat of media stories making the case for decarbonising buildings to a range of different audience types.
