WindEurope, SolarPower Europe and two other associations have joined forces to issue a declaration that sets out clear policy recommendations to boost the renewables sector and achieve the Green Deal’s 2050 climate and energy goals.
Ahead of the publication of the European Climate Law, the associations, including SmartEN and the Renewables Grid Initiative, are calling for the legislation to accelerate the implementation of the Clean Energy Package, empower the European Commission to secure the delivery of the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets at national level and enhance its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in line with the Paris Agreement.
The revision of State Aid rules should be consistent which such frameworks.
The European Union must, according to the groups, ensure integrated and collaborative electricity infrastructure planning, including the integration of all decentralised energy and flexibility resources.
This, the aruge, will strengthen Europe’s grid – the backbone of renewables-based electrification and smart sector integration – and prevent the societal costs of stranded assets.
EU policymakers must also acknowledge the strategic importance of renewables and smart energy technologies for a successful transition towards climate-neutrality, and develop an ambitious industrial strategy encompassing both supply-side and demand-side policies.
The European Green Deal meanwhile should foster a fair transition for all Europeans by promoting benefit sharing and inclusion in decision-making processes in particular for impacted communities and vulnerable households, according to the associations.
Crucially, they added, it should support re-skilling programmes to help address the economic and social impacts of the transition by creating job opportunities within the renewable and smart energy sectors. It must also ensure nature protection.
SmartEn director Frauke Thies said: “Successfully decarbonising our energy system will depend on increasing renewables and energy efficiency, as well as unlocking flexibility on the demand-side.
“It is unthinkable to scale up one without boosting the others. Every company, building and car can play an important part in providing flexibility. To make the clean energy transition a success, all should benefit from actively supporting a more variable energy system.”
SolarPower Europe chief executive Walburga Hemetsberger said: “It is an exciting time to work in the renewables sector, as solar has undergone an over 100% increase in the EU in the last year, with projections pointing towards renewable energy dominating the decade ahead.
“We believe that a 100% renewables-based energy system in Europe is possible, which would ensure a sustainable and secure future. In order to achieve this vision, it is urgent to deliver an ambitious industrial strategy for renewables, and establish the renewable sector as a strategic value chain for Europe.”
Renewables Grid Initiative chief executive Antonella Battaglini added: “The energy transition will be a great opportunity for Europe if designed well and with fairness in mind.
“Optimised use of distributed resources and the electricity grid, the necessary sector integration, local value production while ensuring effective nature protection and stakeholder engagement – these constitute the coherent horizontal efforts necessary to allow the Green Deal to deliver a stronger and more meaningful Europe within and beyond our borders.”
WindEurope chief executive Giles Dickson said: “Wind energy is 15% of Europe’s electricity and provides 300,000 jobs.
“The EU Commission wants wind to be half of Europe’s electricity by 2050 and they envisage a 5-fold increase in wind capacity by then.
“This means doubling the current rate at which Europe is building wind farms. And this requires a new approach to planning and permitting and continued investment in power grids. The National Energy and Climate Plans for 2030 are a crucial first step.”
SmartEn, SolarPower Europe, the Renewables Grid Initiative, and WindEurope are underscoring the declaration by hosting the emPOWER Energy Transition Summit, to “highlight” the contribution of renewables to the European Commission’s Green Deal policy framework.