Europe’s new 2030 target
The European Commission has formally
proposed a target of 55% fewer GHG emissions by 2030, a substantial
increase from the previous target of 40%. It hasn’t yet been finalised by the
European Parliament and EU Council, but it is likely to be the final target.
More interesting than the target, however, is the impact
assessment (Part
1 and Part
2 – careful, they are hundreds of pages long!) and the plan on how to
achieve the more ambitious target. Specifically, what does it mean for cities?
The Energy Sector:
A big boost for renewable energy- The plan is to
double renewable generating capacity from 32% today to 65% by 2030. There is a
substantial opportunity for community energy to fill some of that gap in the
next ten years. This will need to be reflected in the review of the Renewable
Energy Directive due in June 2021.
More efficiency- Cut final energy consumption by
36-37% for final energy consumption (total energy consumed by end users) and
39-41% for primary energy consumption (total energy used to meet final energy
needs, e.g. gas used to produce electricity). Currently the Energy Efficiency
Directive calls for -32.5% by 2030, so it too will be revised by June 2021.
Coal says goodbye, gas lingers- Coal
is essentially removed by 2030 with a 70% reduction by 2030 from a 2015 base,
while oil and gas are reduced more modestly at 30% and 25%.
Buildings and Heating Sector:
Renovation Wave (Due Oct. 14th)- Targeting
individual buildings and a district-level approach to increase efficiency and
the switch to renewable heating sources. This may include, “mandatory requirements for the worst
performing buildings and gradually tightening the minimum energy performance
requirements” but no word yet on
who or how those minimums would be enforced.
Heating
getting hot– The EU Commission
call for more focus on local heating and cooling solutions, linking waste heat
and renewable energy sources and specifically mentions “modern low-temperature district
heating systems”. Members of
Energy Cities have a lot of experience in this field and are well-placed to
capitalize on its growing importance.
Accelerating
Cleaner Mobility:
Zero emissions cars – There
isn’t an explicit proposal to phase out fossil fuel cars but the projection is
that each KM driven in 2030 will have 50% of the emissions of a car driven in
2021. That is going to require a substantial number of zero emissions vehicles
while also reducing the overall fleet size through “sustainable collective transport services.”
Sinking carbon and sharing costs:
Recycle the
money- One proposal is to redirect auction revenues from the EU
Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) to tackle energy poverty and help poorer
households to invest in cleaner technology creating a virtuous circle. They
also propose expanding the EU ETS fully cover buildings & transport. This
is a very contentious issue we will be watching closely and it is unclear if
this would be effective in either sector.
Working
the land- The
EU Commission hopes that improved forest management and the restoration of
wetlands, peatlands and degraded land in line with the Biodiversity Strategy can
have a big impact on overall emissions – especially for the 2050 net zero
target as there is obviously a long lead time in these types of land use
changes. Cities will play an increasingly important role in reforesting areas
and maximizing carbon sequestration of existing green spaces.
The post Europe’s new 2030 target appeared first on Energy Cities.
Fuente: ENERGY CITIES
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