BRUSSELS, Belgium. The European Commission has agreed on proposals to
"dramatically increase" the use of renewable energies in each country by
2020, through the setting of legally-enforceable targets.
The proposals will deliver the continent's commitments to promote renewables
and to fight climate change, with an increase to 20% for the share of
renewables in energy consumption by 2020. Currently, the share of renewables
in the EU's final energy consumption is 8.5% and the average increase of
11.5% by 2020 will be achieved through individual targets for each member
country.
The options for developing renewables vary among countries and lead times
for developing renewables are long, meaning that "it is important for Member
States to have a clear vision of where they intend to act," the Commission
notes. The national action plans to be prepared by each country will set out
how they intend to meet their targets and how progress can be monitored
effectively.
Individual member countries will be allowed to support the overall
continental effort for renewables and the flexibility to develop green
facilities outside their national borders will shift investment to where
renewables can be produced most efficiently, which could reduce the price
tag for meeting the 20% target by Euro 1.8 billion.
"In a time of growing oil prices and climate change concerns, renewable
energy sources is an opportunity that we cannot miss," says energy
commissioner Andris Piebalgs. "They will help us to reduce our CO2
emissions, strengthen our security of supply and develop jobs and growth in
a high tech developing sector. If we do the effort now, Europe will be the
leader in the race towards the low carbon economy that the planet so
desperately needs."
"Responding to the challenge of climate change is the ultimate political
test for our generation," adds Commission president José Manuel Barroso.
"Our package not only responds to this challenge, but holds the right answer
to the challenge of energy security and is an opportunity that should create
thousands of new businesses and millions of jobs in Europe. We must grasp
that opportunity."
The proposals will also build on the EU Emission Trading System which will
include greenhouse gases beyond only CO2 and will involve all major
industrial emitters. The electricity sector will face full auctioning from
the start of the new regime in 2013.
Revenues resulting from the ETS will be used to support innovation in
renewables, carbon sequestration and research, with some of the revenues to
help developing countries adapt to climate change. Revenues from the
auctioning could amount to Euro 50 billion a year by 2020.
Legally binding targets for 2020 range from 10% in Malta, 15% in the UK, 18%
in Denmark, 20% in Spain, 30% in Denmark and 49% in Sweden.
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