On Tuesday 28 November Parliament's energy committee adopted changes to the EU's renewable energy directive to include a new binding 35% green energy target for 2030 as well set new principles on future financial support to renewable energy sources and boost people's right to produce their own renewable energy.
Spanish S&D member José Blanco López, who is responsible for steering the plans through Parliament, said: “Europe needs to do more. It needs more ambition for renewable energy if it wants to fulfil its Paris commitments, fight climate change and lead the energy transition.”
The update is needed as the EU is committed to boosting renewable energy. Under rules agreed by member states 20% of the EU's energy consumption must come from renewable sources such as the sun or wind by 2020. In 2014 EU countries agreed this should increase to 27% by 2030.
To achieve this, national binding targets have been set and EU countries are on track to reach them. Check the table below for details.
Share of energy from renewable sources (in % of gross final energy consumption)
|
|
2015 |
2020 target |
|
EU average |
16.7 |
20 |
|
Sweden |
53.9 |
49 |
|
Finland |
39.3 |
38 |
|
Latvia |
37.6 |
40 |
|
Austria |
33 |
34 |
|
Denmark |
30.8 |
30 |
|
Croatia |
29 |
20 |
|
Estonia |
28.6 |
25 |
|
Portugal |
28 |
31 |
|
Lithuania |
25.8 |
23 |
|
Romania |
24.8 |
24 |
|
Slovenia |
22 |
25 |
|
Bulgaria |
18.2 |
16 |
|
Italy |
17.5 |
17 |
|
Spain |
16.2 |
20 |
|
Greece |
15.4 |
18 |
|
France |
15.2 |
23 |
|
Czech Republic |
15.1 |
13 |
|
Germany |
14.6 |
18 |
|
Hungary |
14.5 |
13 |
|
Slovakia |
12.9 |
14 |
|
Poland |
11.8 |
15 |
|
Cyprus |
9.4 |
13 |
|
Ireland |
9.2 |
16 |
|
United Kingdom |
8.2 |
15 |
|
Belgium |
7.9 |
13 |
|
Netherlands |
5.8 |
14 |
|
Malta |
5 |
10 |
|
Luxembourg |
5 |
11 |
Ref.: 20171124STO88813
