The European Parliament and the Council have reached an agreement to raise the EU’s binding target for the amount of renewables in energy consumption by 2030 from 32% to a minimum of 42.5% (18% in 2021), with the aim to reach 45%. To do so, the regional bloc is expected to make permitting procedures easier and faster under the new law by recognising that renewables are an overriding public interest. Specifically, Member States will create dedicated acceleration zones for renewables, with short and simple regulatory procedures. In addition, the provisional agreement also enhances cross-border cooperation on renewables.
The agreement comprises targets and measures to support the uptake of renewables across various sectors of the economy, establishing indicative targets (1.6% of annual increase in renewable energy use) as well as a binding target to reach 42% of renewable hydrogen in total hydrogen consumption in industry by 2030. In addition, the deal strengthens the legal environment for renewable energy use in transport (14.5% greenhouse gas intensity reduction or 29% share of renewable energy in final energy consumption), including a combined sub-target of 5.5% for advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin, including a minimum level of 1% for renewable fuels of non-biological origin. Finally, the revised Directive reinforces annual renewables targets for the heating and cooling sector and for renewable energy used in district heating systems, introducing a specific renewable energy benchmark of 49% for energy consumption in buildings by 2030.
The revision of the Renewable Efficiency Directive is one of the ‘Fit for 55' proposals presented by the Commission in July 2021 to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. The EU's long-term growth plan, the European Green Deal, aims to make Europe carbon neutral by 2050.
Interested in Global Energy Research?
Enerdata's premium online information service provides up-to-date market reports on 110+ countries. The reports include valuable market data and analysis as well as a daily newsfeed, curated by our energy analysts, on the oil, gas, coal and power markets.
This user-friendly tool gives you the essentials about the domestic markets of your concern, including market structure, organisation, actors, projects and business perspectives.