Despite a 0.7% drop in primary energy consumption in the European Union in 2018 compared to 2017, efforts in terms of energy efficiency need a “considerable acceleration” in order to meet the EU's 20% energy efficiency improvement targets by 2020, says a new European Commission report published on Thursday 23 July.
According to the report, final energy consumption also increased by 0.1% in 2018 compared to the previous year.
“Both indicators are above the fixed trajectory for the 2020 targets”, the document deplores.
Stressing the link between growth in economic activity and increased energy consumption, the report notes that the new policies and measures implemented by Member States in 2018 have been insufficient.
As a result, some Member States have achieved energy savings well below what would be needed in 2018 to meet their cumulative energy savings targets for the period 2014-2020.
While the 2020 targets could nevertheless be reached, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on energy demand, the Commission considers that it seems increasingly unlikely that the 2020 targets can be achieved without this external effect.
It therefore calls for a rapid intensification of energy efficiency efforts, as a recovery in energy demand after the Covid-19 crisis would make it more difficult to achieve the targets set for 2030.
In addition, the report indicates that the cumulative impact of Member States' National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) will probably still be insufficient to meet the EU's energy efficiency targets for 2030.
See the report: https://bit.ly/30CAuGx (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)