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EU lawmakers pass bill hiking renewable energy targets

(EurActiv, 13 Sep 2023) The European Parliament gave its final approval on Tuesday (12 September) to legally binding targets to expand renewable energy faster this decade, a central part of Europe’s plans to curb climate change and shift away from fossil fuels.

The law significantly raises the EU’s renewable energy targets, requiring 42.5% of EU energy to be renewable by 2030.

The share of renewables in the EU’s energy mix currently stand at 22.1%, according to EU statistics, which means roughly doubling that share by 2030 – mainly with additional wind and solar capacity.

The revised directive also adds renewable energy targets for buildings and seeks faster permitting processes for wind and solar projects with the introduction of dedicated “acceleration areas” for renewables.

Under the new directive, national authorities will have 12 months to approve or reject new solar and wind farms, if they are located in a renewable “acceleration area”. Outside those, the process should not exceed 24 months.

In the transport sector, renewables deployment should lead to a 14.5% reduction in emissions by 2030, by using a greater share of advanced biofuels and a more ambitious quota for renewable fuels of non-biological origin, such as hydrogen.

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EurActiv, 13 Sep 2023: EU lawmakers pass bill hiking renewable energy targets