The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has urged member states in the European Union to recognise the potential energy efficiency has with regard to job growth.

ETUC has called for binding sustainability targets across the continent to achieve a minimum improvement of 20 per cent by 2020.

Judith Kirton-Darling, ETUC confederal secretary, said: "The Commission's original proposal was already very conservative in its scope and demands and now national governments are watering down those limited demands."

Ms Kirton-Darling went on to say that EU member states should show "political" will at today's (May 4th) meeting regarding Draft Energy Efficiency Directive.

She added that any agreement should demonstrate ambition, rather than stagnation.

These comments come after a spokesperson from Sustain Worldwide stated that businesses can boost the energy efficiency of their properties by using sustainably sourced materials in the construction process.

Gordon Miller, co-founder and sustainability and communications director of the group advocated the use of insulation, saying that it can lead to substantial cost savings.