The EU must adopt a binding renewable energy target for 2030 to secure long-term investment in renewable energy, according to the European Wind Energy Association. “The wind industry expects to invest some Eur400 billion in Europe between now and 2030,” says Arthouros Zervos, president of the European Wind Energy Association. “To do so it needs stable and certain EU energy policy.”
In a new report, ‘EU Energy Policy to 2050’, the EWEA argues that the renewable energy targets set so far have enabled Europe to become world leader in renewable energy technologies, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the report argues, this successful policy should be repeated for the period after 2020, together with the support of an Emissions Performance Standard, and a tighter Emissions Trading System.
“We are facing a policy vacuum after 2020,” says Arthouros Zervos. “We must ensure that the renewable energy targets established in 2001 and 2009 are replicated for the period after 2020 with ambitious 2030 targets. We must ensure that that the success story of renewable energy in Europe survives beyond 2020.”
EWEA supports an overall EU renewable energy target as proposed by the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC). The EREC believes that not less than 45% of the EU’s total energy consumption can come from renewable sources by 2030.
Wind energy alone could meet 28.5% of Europe’s electricity demand by then, according to EWEA’s scenarios. Already the Member States’ National Renewable Energy Action Plans show wind energy providing over 14% of the EU’s electricity by 2020.
Arthouros Zervos has demanded renewable energy targets for 2030 within the lifetime of the current European Commission and Parliament.