19 winners in 10 EU countries are 2012's winners of the energy efficiency awards for buildings and lighting (GreenBuilding and GreenLight). These awards, managed by the Joint Research Centre, promote the reduction of energy consumption by public and private organisations on a voluntary basis.

19 organisations from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom are this year's winners of the GreenBuilding and GreenLight awards, the energy efficiency awards for buildings and lighting. GreenLight encourages partners to install energy-efficient lighting technologies and systems, whilst GreenBuilding promotes improved energy efficiency through several measures such as thermal insulation, efficient heating and cooling, intelligent control systems, photovoltaic (solar) panels etc. In 2011, 25 winners from 14 countries across three categories were awarded.

One of the winners under the GreenBuilding programme is the German Derag Hotels group, which obtained an 88% reduction in energy consumption with a saving of 304 MWh per year. In the category of new buildings, the offices of Fabege AB (Sweden) achieved an effective saving of 64% (3 411 MWh per year). Under the GreenLight programme, the winners include a Data centre of Migration Solutions (UK), which reduced its energy consumption by 95% (732 MWh per year). Average energy savings from all prize winners in both categories was 68,5%.

GreenBuilding programme, which promotes improved energy efficiency, has 364 partners with 616 buildings, which achieved energy savings of 514,000 MWh in 2011. On the other hand, GreenLight, which promotes highly efficient lighting, has currently 710 partners, who achieved total energy savings of 304,000 MWh in 2011. Buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of EU CO2 emissions. According to the Commission, energy performance of buildings is key to achieve the EU climate and energy objectives, namely the reduction of a 20% of the greenhouse gases emissions by 2020 and a 20% energy savings by 2020.