The Council of the European Union has agreed on two legislative proposals under the Fit for 55 package aimed at implementing higher targets for renewables and energy efficiency. Most notably, the regional institution set an EU-level target of 40% of energy from renewables in the energy mix by 2030 (current EU target is at least 32 %). Member states will need to increase their national contributions set in their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), which are to be updated in 2023 and 2024.
In the transport sector, member states will have to choose between two binding targets by 2030: a 13% greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity reduction in transport, or a 29 % renewable share within the final consumption of energy in the transport sector by 2030. In addition, the share of advanced biofuels in renewable energies supplied to the transport sector will have to reach 0.2% in 2022, 1% in 2025 and 4.4 % in 2030.
An increase in renewable targets for heating and cooling, with an rise of 0.8%/year at national level until 2026 and 1.1% from 2026 to 2030, has also been greenlighted. The Council of the European Union established an objective of a 1.1%/year average increase in renewable energy use for industry. It also decided that 35% of the hydrogen used in industry should come from renewable fuels of non-biological origin by 2030 (50% by 2035).
Concerning energy efficiency, final energy consumption at EU level will have to be reduced by 36% and primary energy consumption by 39% in 2030 (current EU target is 32.5% for final and primary energy consumption). Member states will also have to ensure energy savings of 1.1 % of annual final energy consumption from 1 January 2024, 1.3 % from 1 January 2026, and 1.5 % from 1 January 2028 to 31 December 2030.
These ramped-up targets are expected to make a significant contribution towards meeting the EU’s overall goal of reducing net GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels). The European Council, which is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union, will now enter negotiation with the European Parliament over the two proposals.
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