Negotiators from the European Union agreed last week to set more ambitious renewable energy targets, intensifying efforts to combat climate change. The bloc of 27 nations is now set to supply 42,5% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, up from its current target of 32%. The agreement comes as Europe moves away from its dependence on Russian natural gas and oil following the invasion of Ukraine.
“This will help us move toward climate neutrality, strengthen our energy security and boost our competitiveness, all at the same time,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says, according to Samuel Pétrequin of the Associated Press.
The agreement comes about two weeks after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warned that it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the world will limit global warming to 1,5 degrees Celsius. That goal was set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which called on countries to take swift action to reduce their climate-warming emissions. So far, the highest-emitting nations are falling short of their climate targets.
In 2021, 22% of the European Union’s energy came from renewable sources, according to Bart Meijer, Kate Abnett and Philip Blenkinsop of Reuters . That same year, renewable energy accounted for about 12,4 percent of primary energy consumption in the United States.
Under the new European agreement, countries can choose to raise their targets to 45% renewable energy, but this is not legally binding, Angela Symons reports for Euronews . As a result, the agreement has drawn some criticism for not doing enough.
The war in Ukraine and the EU’s subsequent energy crisis have transformed and accelerated the region’s transition to renewable energy. In May 2022, the European Commission unveiled a $229 billion (210 billion euros) plan to fully wean itself off Russian oil and natural gas by 2027. In 2021, before the war, Russian gas accounted for about 45 percent of the EU’s total natural gas imports.
The new renewable energy target will help Europe achieve its long-term goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 and its more immediate “Fit for 55” plan to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
Before it takes effect, last week’s agreement must be formally approved by the European Parliament and EU member countries.
“I’m pleased we got it done. This directive brings more renewable energy, greater climate protection and a simpler, faster rollout of renewable energy in Europe. This will bring us closer to the Paris climate goals and reduce our dependence on others,” EU lawmaker Markus Pieper says in a statement. “This is a good day for Europe’s energy transition.”
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/
The agreement comes about two weeks after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warned that it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the world will limit global warming to 1,5 degrees Celsius. That goal was set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which called on countries to take swift action to reduce their climate-warming emissions. So far, the highest-emitting nations are falling short of their climate targets.
In 2021, 22% of the European Union’s energy came from renewable sources, according to Bart Meijer, Kate Abnett and Philip Blenkinsop of Reuters . That same year, renewable energy accounted for about 12,4 percent of primary energy consumption in the United States.
Under the new European agreement, countries can choose to raise their targets to 45% renewable energy, but this is not legally binding, Angela Symons reports for Euronews . As a result, the agreement has drawn some criticism for not doing enough.
The war in Ukraine and the EU’s subsequent energy crisis have transformed and accelerated the region’s transition to renewable energy. In May 2022, the European Commission unveiled a $229 billion (210 billion euros) plan to fully wean itself off Russian oil and natural gas by 2027. In 2021, before the war, Russian gas accounted for about 45 percent of the EU’s total natural gas imports.
The new renewable energy target will help Europe achieve its long-term goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 and its more immediate “Fit for 55” plan to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
Before it takes effect, last week’s agreement must be formally approved by the European Parliament and EU member countries.
“I’m pleased we got it done. This directive brings more renewable energy, greater climate protection and a simpler, faster rollout of renewable energy in Europe. This will bring us closer to the Paris climate goals and reduce our dependence on others,” EU lawmaker Markus Pieper says in a statement. “This is a good day for Europe’s energy transition.”
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/
