If you think that the renewable energy targets set by the European Union to be reached by the year 2020 are too ambitious then you have to take a look at what the European Renewable Energy Council is suggesting for the year 2050.
... the RES industry is becoming more and more powerful and influential- Philip Mifsud
The European target for the year 2020 for the EU (as established by the EU itself through the Renewable Energy Directive) is to generate 20 per cent of all its generated energy from renewable energy sources.
Different countries have different targets; the weighted average of all member states remains 20 per cent. For example, the local RES target for the year 2020 is 10 per cent.
On the other hand, the Swedish target is 49 per cent. And if a 49 per cent target seems too high to you, you had better know that Sweden had already reached and exceeded its target in 2009.
The question is whether this collective target will be reached or not. Economic and financial complications that affected a good number of European countries in recent years are definitely not helping the situation. It is evident that some member states are in a real risk of not reaching their 2020 target. Penalties and legal action against such member states may apply.
Notwithstanding this, recent predictions still show that the collective target will be reached. In fact, the most recent studies show that, by 2020, the energy generated from RES within the EU will be 20.6 per cent of the total energy generated. The targets, as imposed by member states themselves in their respective National Renewable Energy Action Plans, show that the projected EU aim will be exceeded by 0.7 per cent.
It seems that these positive predictions have triggered more and more ambitious plans. European stakeholders are now discussing targets for 2030 and 2050. And, guess what?
The EREC is presenting a pathway towards a 100 per cent RES for the EU by the year 2050. The EREC is the umbrella organisation of the major European renewable energy industry, trade and research associations.
Yes, that’s right, in order for this target to be reached, by 2050 RES need to have exclusivity within the EU. This includes transport! No fossil fuels, no gas, no nuclear power solutions. Talking about nuclear energy, it is obvious that the Fukushima disaster has triggered discussions on the viability of this high-risk method of energy generation. We witnessed mass protests in different countries. These actions led politicians back to their drawing boards. The decisions that were recently taken gave the upper hand to RES. It is really a pity that such decisions had to be triggered by a devastating disaster!
Back to 2050, I feel that a 100 per cent RES vision is quite ambitious.
Obviously, the situation is a complex one and one can feel pressure from opposing commercial interests. It seems to me that the RES industry is becoming more and more powerful and influential. Aware of such a fact, it is dedicating more resources in planting such high targets within different European fora. In doing so, it will guarantee that such an industry will continue to flourish. The turnover of this industry within Europe stands at €70 billion annually. Just imagine what the figures would look like if the 100 per cent RES target would be reached.
This is where the role of the politicians comes into play. Obviously, politicians will decide on the targets to be reached beyond 2020. The year 2030 might be already too near. The EREC is pressuring the European Commission, member states and the European Parliament to deliver on the EU’s long-term climate commitment by proposing and endorsing a legally-binding EU target of at least 45 per cent renewable energy by 2030. Operators in the conventional energy generation business will definitely oppose such a proposal. As explained above, pressure will soon be mounting for a binding target for the year 2050.
The EREC is demanding exclusivity. The year 2050 might seem too far but thinking in terms of investment cycles, that is only one to two investment cycles away. The EREC knows this quite well.
At this stage, I feel that the question should not be whether such a target is attainable or not. If Sweden has been generating more than 50 per cent of its energy through RES since 2009 it is definitely capable to reach the 100 per cent mark by 2050. And if Sweden can do it, then the EU can do it.
The question that we should ask at this stage is whether we should aim this high or not.
My instinct seems to drive me towards a positive answer!
The author, an architect by profession, is a Nationalist member of Parliament and Parliamentary Assistant within the Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs.