More ambitious EU Renewable Energy Targets agreed
The European Parliament and Council of the European Union have announced that they reached a provision agreement on the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), paving the way for adoption of the revised Directive.
The two institutions have agreed to raise the legally binding minimum for renewable energy in final energy consumption from 32% to 42.5% by 2030, with a target of 45%. This would represent a doubling of current renewable energy generation, which stands at 22% as of 2021.
The new targets come in the framework of the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU initiative, and will contribute to Europe’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
As well as increasing the ambition of its targets, the newly revised Directive will make renewable energy permitting easier and faster. In areas where there is significant potential for renewable energy generation, member states will be encouraged to set aside dedicated ‘acceleration areas’ for new projects.
Sectoral sub-targets will also be strengthened, with annual targets for heating and cooling, and for renewables in district heating, and a target of 49% renewables for energy consumption in buildings by 2030. The industry is to be included in the RED for the first time, with a 1.6% annual increase in renewable energy use, and renewable hydrogen to be 42% of total hydrogen consumption, also by 2030.
In transport, member states will have the flexibility to choose between two binding 2030 targets for renewable transport fuels:
- A 14.5% reduction of greenhouse gas intensity
- A 29% share of renewables in final transport energy consumption
The provisional agreement on the Renewable Energy Directive will be formally approved by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union in the coming months and enter into force on publication.
For more information, see the Commission page on the Renewable Energy Directive, and the European Parliament’s Legislative Train.