Share this on social media

EU countries eye scrapping 45% renewables target: document

(EurActiv, 13 Oct 2022) EU countries are considering watering down the European Commission’s plan to ditch Russian fossil fuels, known as REPowerEU, including scrapping a proposed 45% renewable energy target for 2030, according to a document seen by EURACTIV.

The amendments made by EU countries to the European Commission’s REPowerEU proposal, tabled in May, could impact the speed of renewable energy deployment, which is crucial to decrease reliance on Russian fossil fuels and lower energy prices.

The amendments remove the Commission’s push to increase the target for renewables in Europe’s energy mix to 45%, replacing it with the 40% target agreed by EU countries in June.

This is below both the European Parliament’s and the European Commission’s positions, which both support the 45% target.

WWF, the environmental NGO, was highly critical of this.

“Raising the share of renewable energy to 45% by 2030 is our chance to address a threefold crisis at once: the climate breakdown, access to secure energy, and reducing energy prices for consumers in the medium term,” climate and energy policy officer at WWF Europe Romain Laugier told EURACTIV.

“If EU governments are truly committed to solving all three, they should sign up to this higher renewable energy target,” he added.

External link

EurActiv, 13 Oct 2022: EU countries eye scrapping 45% renewables target: document