A European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research, Telecoms and Energy (ITRE) draft report on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive for the period 2021 – 2030 calls upon the European Union to raise its 2030 renewable energy target to at least 35% and re-introduce binding national targets for 2030.
The report by Spanish MEP José Blanco López forms the basis of the European Parliament’s position on the new Renewable Energy Directive, which will determine the future of the renewable energy deployment in the EU, according to Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.
López calls upon the EU to raise the 2030 renewable energy target to "at least 35%”, arguing that "the Commission proposal and the European Council endorsement of the 27% target occurred before the signature of the Paris Agreement and were based on technology cost estimates which have already proven to be overly pessimistic and are now outdated”.
He also calls for re-introducing binding national targets for 2030, arguing, "national binding targets have been the most important driver for renewable energy policies and investments in many Member States”.
CAN Director Wendel Trio said that raising the target to at least 35% is a step in the right direction, but still stops short of fulfilling the EU’s commitment under the Paris Agreement.
"This report should match the level of ambition set out by the Parliament’s report on the overarching governance regulation, which calls for an at least 45% target. We welcome the call for national binding targets, which would strengthen investor confidence and in turn reduce transition costs,” Trio added.
For its part, environmental group Greenpeace noted that the Parliament is right to ramp up the EU’s renewable energy targets and to require each country do their share to fight climate change. "But Mr Blanco López is in danger of compromising too soon, he can and should prioritise access for renewables and give people real control of their energy bills,” Sebastian Mang, climate and energy policy adviser with Greenpeace EU. "Renewable energy ranks amongst the cheapest in Europe, and decentralised ownership in solar and wind generation allows communities to switch off dirty coal and nuclear while maximising the benefits of producing and consuming energy locally.”
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/ep-increase-eus-share-renewable-energy/
