Renewable energy helped the EU cut its greenhouse gas emissions by about 10% in 2015, an European Environment Agency report shows.
Clean energy sources are steadily increasing their share in energy consumption across the region, further reducing the need for CO2-emitting fossil fuels, the EEA said.
The share of renewable energy use across the EU reached 16.7% in 2015, up from 16% in 2014 and 15% in 2013.
This steady EU-wide growth in renewables since 2005 means the region is well on course to reach its 20% target by 2020, according to the agency.
Renewables accounted for 77% of new electricity-generating capacity in 2015 for the eighth year in a row, the ‘Renewable energy in Europe 2017’ report shows.
In both 2014 and 2015, the largest reductions in fossil fuel use and CO2 emissions due to the uptake of renewables took place in Germany, Italy and the UK.
Image: SXC
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