Energy Saving News
Call for Binding EU Energy Efficiency Targets
The European Union is being enjoined to use 25 per cent less energy by 2020, in an action designed to escalate the debate on energy efficiency.
Peter Liese, a German centre-right MEP, has produced a report calling on the European Commission to draft legislation for a mandatory 25 per cent energy-efficiency target, this goes further than the current voluntary target of making 20 per cent savings in energy by 2020.
We reported recently that this matter was being considered, Liese’s report moves the debate forward, with Members of the European Parliament's environment committee will vote on the report next week.
The report asserts that Europe's energy priorities are unbalanced, as a legally binding target to increase the share of renewable energy to 20 per cent by 2020 is not matched by targets on energy efficiency.
Liese claims it is “crazy” to have a mandatory targets for renewable energy that will be exceeded, while not having any binding targets for energy efficiency, which is a far “less expensive option”.
Liese wants to see long-term targets for energy savings of 42 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050 to give business and investors more certainty about the EU's plans.
In 2006 EU leaders casually approved a 20 per cent energy-savings target and since progress has been slow with the EU’s current efforts estimated to take them only halfway to the required target. Our recent report explained how there were worries about this lack of performance, and that the European Commission has promised to present a new energy-efficiency action plan before the end of this year.
It appears that Commission officials are reluctant to set mandatory targets, which are also opposed by most national governments, at the same time the Commission believes that the 20 per cent target is not high enough but could easily be surpassed if governments took greater action.
MEPs in the Parliament's environment committee are expected to back the 25 per cent mandatory target, before it goes to the full European Parliament for a vote on energy efficiency in November.
Picture by stevecadman
Thursday 30th September 2010
