Wind industry representatives today called on EU policymakers to increase the region’s renewables ambition to at least 35% by 2030, instead of the European Commission’s current 27% proposal.
The call came during the opening session of the WindEurope 2017 conference and trade fair in Amsterdam, where WindEurope chairman and RES chief executive Ivo Catto said low ambition would mean Europe misses out on €92bn in wind investments and over 130,000 new jobs.
He said installed capacity in the region could grow to 323GW of capacity by 2030 with greater ambition.
EU member states should also put together national action plans that could serve as a reference to show how the new goal could be achieved, Catto added.
Vestas chief executive Anders Runevad backed the call for higher renewables targets. “We’ve done a lot to bring the cost of wind energy down,” he told journalists. “With these achievements made, it now makes economic sense to raise the target for 2030.”
Image: Pixabay
Wind industry seeks more ambition
WindEurope 2017 hears call for EU to raise renewables targets
By EBS