Brussels, 24/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The framework proposed by the Commission on 23 January to govern EU climate and energy policies until 2030 - the binding target of 40% reduction in CO2 emissions, at least 27% of renewable energies in the total energy mix, and no energy efficiency objective - is deemed insufficient by stakeholders in the sustainable energy sector.
The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), which represents the green energy industry, deplores the fact that there is no target for renewables, pointing out that a 30% target would make it possible to reduce the fossil fuel bill by €258 billion and would create 600,000 jobs, and that a 35% target would reduce the fossil energy bill by €358 billion. “Just five years ago, the Commission sent the signal to investors that renewable energy was to be the future for Europe. Now, the Commission is acting in reverse-mode, setting a cap for renewables, not a target for 2030”, EREC grumbles, recalling that a scenario presented by the Commission in December 2013 indicates that renewables could grow to a share of 24.4% without any new policies in place. “If you wanted to shift investments further away from Europe, you would go about it no other way”, EREC states, trusting that the framework will be strengthened during the Spring European Council, with a binding target of 45% for renewables.
For the biofuels industry, the association of bioethanol producers, e-Pure, takes the view that industrialists dealing with fossil fuels will be the only ones to benefit from the framework proposed. The European Biodiesel Board (EBB) considers the biofuels industry could lose investors, mainly for R&D in advanced biofuels, if the post-2020 objectives are not reinforced.
The Coalition for Energy Savings deplores the lack of a target when it comes to energy efficiency, but continues to express hope given that the European Commission leaves itself a “last chance” with review of the energy efficiency directive scheduled for this July. Citing a study carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute in 2013, the association points out that the EU has a potential 41% saving in final energy costs for 2030, which would make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions from 49% to 61% and to allow households and industry to save €239 billion by the year 2030. The European Insulation Manufacturers' Association, Eurima, also bemoans the lack of an energy efficiency objective. Finally, the heating and cooling sector - bioenergy, thermal and geothermal heating and cooling, heat pumps, smart energy services - regret the “lack of ambition” of the framework proposed which only focuses on reduction of emissions and neglects a sector that makes up the largest part of final energy consumption (45%). (EH/transl.jl)