The EU Parliament today approved the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive. Its aim is to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the EU’s total energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030.
Specific sectoral targets for transport, industry, buildings and district heating and cooling are included in the regulation. It is part of the EU’s “Fit for 55” climate package. The goal is a climate-neutral EU by 2050, in order to reduce the consequences of global warming.
The new regulation foresees two possible targets for Member States in the transport sector: either the greenhouse gas intensity must decrease by 14.5% through the use of renewable energy sources by 2030 or the final energy consumption is expected to achieve a share of renewable energy sources of at least 29 percent by 2030.
The industry must increase its use of renewable energy by 1.6% annually. By 2030, 42% of hydrogen used by industry should come from renewable fuels of non-biogenic origin and 60% by 2035.
Austria would clearly be failing its objectives at this time
The regulation also provides for accelerated approval procedures for renewable energy projects, such as photovoltaics and wind farms. It aims to increase the use of renewable energy sources as part of the REPowerEU plan and aims to promote independence from Russian fossil fuels.
The directive still needs to be formally adopted by the Council before being published in the EU’s Official Journal. According to the draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP) presented in the summer, Austria clearly does not meet the EU’s climate targets.