The EU has committed to weaning off Russian fossil fuels by 2027 in response to President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Christian Charizius | afp | Getty Images
The European Union is poised to increase its renewable energy targets for 2030, accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels, because the bloc seeks to cut emissions quickly and reduce its dependence on Russia.
Negotiators from the European Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on Thursday to source 42.5% of the bloc-27’s energy from renewable technologies akin to wind and solar by the tip of the last decade, EU lawmaker Markus Pieper he said via Twitter.
Pieper described the agreement as “an excellent day for Europe’s energy transition.”
The deal is he said the inclusion of a further “indicative boost” of two.5% to allow the block to reach a forty five% share. It is meant to replace the present goal of the EU Renewable Energy Directive of 32% renewable energy by 2030, which has been in place since December 2018.
The proposal now needs to be approved by EU Member State representatives within the Council after which in Parliament. Such contracts are frequently concluded with minimal changes.
The EU has announced that it intends to develop into carbon neutral by 2050. Within the medium term, it wants net greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced by a minimum of 55% by 2030, which the EU calls its “Fit for 55” plan.
The Fit for 55 package was first presented in July 2021 and goals to align the EU’s climate and energy legal framework with the 2050 climate neutrality objective.
The complete-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine from February 2022 and the following energy crisis has fundamentally modified the energy landscape of the region in recent months. The bloc’s lawmakers have come under pressure to adapt the region’s goals to this recent reality.
The EU has pledged to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027 in response to President Vladimir Putin’s hostilities in Ukraine.
Tests published In late February, the independent energy think tank Ember showed that the projected rate of putting in so-called clean energy technologies within the EU is on the right track to exceed the expectations of the “Fit for 55” package.
Ember analysts warned that the EU was at risk of “killing the pace” of the energy transition by sticking to a low goal.
The burning of fossil fuels akin to coal, oil and gas is the major driver of the climate crisis.
— Anmar Frangoul of CNBC contributed to this report.