The European Council and EU Parliament have today (Thursday, March 30) reached a provisional deal aiming to increase renewable energy targets by the end of the decade.
Negotiators agreed that renewable energy, such as wind and solar, will provide 42.5% of the EU’s overall energy consumption by 2030, with an option to increase this to 45%.
The provisional agreement, which will now need to be endorsed by both institutions, would require all EU member states to contribute to this common target.
The current EU Renewable Energy Directive, which has been in place since 2018, has a target for renewables to have a 32% share in the total EU energy consumption by 2030.
The measures in the directive have been reviewed several times to ensure that the EU meets its climate change target to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
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In 2021, renewable sources provided almost 22% of the EU’s overall energy requirement.
However, the consumption of renewable energy varied greatly between member states.
According to Eurostat, Sweden had the highest renewable energy share at 62.6%, followed by Finland (43.1%) and Latvia (42.1%).
The lowest proportions of renewables in 2021 were recorded in Luxembourg (11.7%), Malta (12.2%), the Netherlands (12.3%) and Ireland (12.5%).
The provisional deal also outlines more ambitious sector-specific targets for transport, industry, buildings and district heating and cooling.
These sub-targets will aim to increase the pace of integration of renewables in sectors where incorporation has been slower.
Member states can choose to set a target to increase the share of renewable use in transport to at least 29% by 2030. EU industry would increase the use of renewable energy annually by 1.6%.
The deal includes accelerated permitting procedures for renewable energy projects which would fast track the EU’s plan to become independent from Russian fossil fuels due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The provisional agreement also strengthens the sustainability criteria for biomass use for energy, in order to reduce the risk of unsustainable bioenergy production.