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Time for EU and UK to step up cooperation on offshore wind

(EurActiv, 20 Sep 2021) With the COP26 coming up, now is the time for the EU to engage with the UK to set an ambitious political objective that would help accelerate progress in developing offshore wind in the North Seas, write Simon Skillings and Cora Hewartz.

Simon Skillings is a senior associate at E3G, an independent European climate change think tank with a global outlook. Cora Hewartz is a policy adviser at E3G.

EU Energy ministers will meet on 22nd September to discuss the ‘Fit for 55’ energy package. Previously, such discussions would have focused on securing supplies of oil and gas from remote and often volatile countries.

This issue has dominated the geopolitical agenda for much of the last century. Decarbonisation of the European economy offers the prospect of ending this import dependency with energy provided by locally produced renewable electricity.

However, this should not be viewed as a binary switch from total reliance on other countries to complete national self-sufficiency. It would be necessary to build far more renewable capacity and spend far more money if all countries wished to meet their own demand from locally produced renewables.

The case for a single energy market across the EU with renewable resources shared between member states is overwhelming and is on the critical path in achieving climate neutrality.

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EurActiv, 20 Sep 2021: Time for EU and UK to step up cooperation on offshore wind