EU sets out 2030 energy targets
Anna Sonny, 24 January 2014
The European Commission has set out its plans for climate and energy policy until 2030. The long term 2030 proposals, which aim to keep Europe at the forefront of global climate negotiations, as well as provide more clarity for investors in low-carbon technology, have seen a mixed reaction from member states, business leaders and environmentalists.
The current 20-20-20 energy policy sets out a framework for EU member states to reduce carbon emissions by 20%, improve energy efficiency by 20% and to have 20% of all energy to come from wind, solar or other renewable resources by 2020.
The target for emissions was almost reached by the EU as a bloc by 2012 – the Commission has now doubled it to 40%, although this is binding only at domestic level. But reasons for staying on track to reach targets were more due more to economic recession and decline in industrial competitiveness than anything else.
While green groups say the target is too low and should be at least 55% in order to achieve a 80-95% reduction in emissions by 2050, businesses lobbied hard for a realistic target that wouldn’t pay too high a price for going green. It seems that for a Europe slowly recovering from recession, energy policy must be a trade-off between the high cost of energy prices (European industries pay three to four times more for gas and almost twice as much for electricity than American competitors), and the possible cost the effects of climate change could have on the economy in future.
The renewable energy target is now 27% by 2030; this will be binding at EU level but there will be no mandatory rules for member states, meaning that it will most probably be harder to enforce. Thomas Becker, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association, said a higher target could have created more than 560,000 jobs and boosted economic growth by saving on expensive fuel imports.
Britain will welcome the flexibility of these proposals, as well as the Commission’s decision not to legislate on the controversial process of fracking; shale gas is expected to shift the energy landscape in both Britain and Poland in the years to come. Commission President José Manuel Barroso said the body will only set cross border rules for health and safety on fracking and would not ‘meddle in the energy mix that is to be chosen by member states.’
It is difficult for the 28-nation bloc to find a cohesive voice on many issues, but particularly with regards to energy, as different countries have different priorities. Germany, the EU’s biggest economy, is shifting from nuclear power towards solar and wind energy; Britain is going for shale gas while France has banned it and relies heavily on nuclear power. Taking these conflicting priorities into account as well as what seems to be a choice between saving the planet or the economy, the EU’s proposals are bound to leave some parties unhappy.