Brussels, 23/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - With a view to the adoption, in October, of the 2030 Energy/Climate framework, the European Commission has proposed an energy savings target of 30% by 2030, as part of the energy efficiency communication adopted on Wednesday 23 July.
Following lengthy negotiations on Wednesday lunchtime, the College of Commissioners unanimously agreed to propose an objective of 30% for improving energy efficiency between now and 2030, to add to the targets proposed in January for the 2030 framework as a whole - specifically, a binding objective of 40% for reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and a target of at least 27% for the share of renewable energies in the primary energy mix of the EU (see EUROPE 11002).
“This objective is ambitious and at the same time it is realistic. Our aim is to give the right signal to the market and encourage further investments in energy-saving technologies to the benefit of businesses, consumers and the environment”, European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger told the press, after the Commission's meeting. “30% is a very ambitious target”, he added. “In recent weeks, I have met many environment ministers and energy ministers. We believe that this proposal has every chance of success”, said Oettinger.
The communication firstly examines the progress towards the objective adopted by the EU in 2009 of achieving 20% energy savings by 2020. On the basis of the analysis of the actions of the member states and additional forecasts, the Commission believes that the EU will achieve energy savings in the order of 18% to 19% in 2020. And it could reach 20% if all member states now work hard to implement the legislation adopted - with no need for any additional measures. The energy efficiency directive, which was adopted in 2012, brought in binding measures to reach a target of 20% energy savings by 2020. At the moment, only Cyprus, Denmark, Italy, Malta and Sweden have notified the Commission of the full transposition into their national laws of this text by the deadline of 5 June of this year.
To define the energy efficiency objective to be put forward for 2030, the Commission identified, in January, the fact that a good cost-efficiency ratio of the 40% target for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 would require energy savings of around 25%. However, given new concerns for energy security, with the Ukrainian crisis, it felt that it was appropriate to put forward a more ambitious objective.
The Commission argues that a target of 30% by 2030 would offer new outlets for European businesses, guarantee affordable energy bills for consumers, lead to reinforced energy security thanks to a considerable reduction of imports of natural gas, and would have positive impacts on the environment. This target is based on progress already made, such as the halving of energy consumption in new buildings since the 1980s, or the 19% drop in energy intensity of the industrial sector compared to 2001, the Commission explains. Lastly, better energy performance of appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines should take €100 billion a year off household energy bills by 2020.
The communication also looks at the long-term advantages of energy efficiency for the daily lives of the European population: every extra 1% of energy savings is expected to reduce the EU's gas imports by 2.6% by 2030, which will reduce its dependence on external suppliers. Furthermore, the most energy-efficient buildings will offer derivative advantages to people who live and work in them, apart from a lower energy bill.
In 2017, the Commission will reassess progress in energy efficiency and examine the need to use other indicators to check progress towards the energy savings targets, taking better account of the underlying development of GDP and demographics.
Greens see it as political manipulation. “What the Commission is proposing lacks ambition and will prolong the EU's dependency on its imports”, reacted Luxembourg's Claude Turmes, on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group of the European Parliament. “The non-binding target of 30% energy savings by 2030 is a contradiction with the results of the research commissioned by the European Commission on which the communication is supposed to be based. The president of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, Commissioner Oettinger and Secretary General Catherine Day are complicit in keeping back an impact assessment which concludes that it is in the EU's interests to adopt a far more ambitious target for 2030”, Turmes added. According to this analysis, targets of 35% and 40% would generate prosperity by doubling GDP and creating up to 1.4 million new jobs.
In his investiture speech before the European Parliament on 15 July, the future president of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said that he was in favour of a binding energy efficiency target of at least 30% by 2030. In February, the European Parliament spoke in favour of a 40% objective. (EH)