European Union lawmakers gave their final approval on Tuesday to legally binding targets to expand renewable energy faster this decade, a central part of Europe’s plans to curb climate change and shift away from fossil fuels.
The law significantly raises the EU’s renewable energy targets, requiring 42.5 per cent of EU energy to be renewable by 2030, replacing a current 32-per-cent target for that date.
It faced a tough passage through negotiations among EU countries’ governments, and only secured support after France won carve-outs for nuclear energy – which is low-carbon but not renewable.
The European Parliament voted on Tuesday to pass the law with a large majority – 470 lawmakers voted in favour, 120 against and 40 abstained. EU member countries must also green-light the final bill before it enters into force.
Markus Pieper, the EU Parliament’s negotiator on the law, said it would allow faster approval of new renewable projects and encourage new technologies.
“I am looking forward to seeing pilot projects for floating solar cells, wind kites, run-of-river power plants or other projects we cannot imagine yet,” Mr. Pieper said.
EU countries and lawmakers had negotiated a deal on the renewable energy law in March, which was supposed to be final but was held up by countries seeking greater recognition of nuclear power.
EU countries informally okayed the deal in June, after Brussels offered written assurances that it would consider exempting certain ammonia plants from renewable fuel targets – allowing them to run on nuclear-based fuels instead.
France says Europe’s shift to green energy will require hydrogen produced from both renewables and nuclear, and EU laws should support both.
The new targets – which include specific goals to increase renewable use in transport and industry – aim to spur investments to massively expand wind and solar.
Brussels hopes this can be done using more local manufacturing. China currently supplies most of the parts used in European solar power installations.
Europe’s solar industry warned the European Commission on Monday that a drop in module prices – driven in part by fierce competition among Chinese suppliers – was pushing European manufacturers toward bankruptcy.
A Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday it was aware of the difficulties and was in touch with renewable energy manufacturers to discuss possible solutions. The EU is currently negotiating a law aimed at increasing support for local manufacturing of green technologies.
Europe got 22 per cent of its energy from renewable sources in 2021, the latest year for which official EU data are available.