European renewable energy industry organisations, including EWEA and Ocean Energy Europe, have issued a document identifying ten priorities for the 2016 renewables legislative package to regain global leadership in renewable energy.
The position paper on post-2020 renewable energy framework sets out recommendations to enable the cost-effective fulfilment of both the 2030 renewable energy target and the EU’s long-term decarbonisation objectives.
Investment in renewable energy assets in the EU dropped by 18% in 2015 reaching its lowest level since 2006. Retroactive changes in key European markets and the lack of pipeline visibility for the post-2020 period are tarnishing the EU’s reputation as a safe investment hub whilst emerging economies position themselves as attractive alternatives, according to the document.
The historic Paris climate treaty, signed by 195 governments in December 2015, gave investors a clear signal that high-carbon assets are not viable in the long run and that the transition towards renewable-based economy should be accelerated. The EU has played a key role in brokering the Paris deal. Yet it needs to translate its climate leadership into domestic policy. To meet COP21 ambition, EU Member States will need to increase their 2030 collective climate pledge and step up renewable energy deployment efforts, the European renewables industry organisations said.
The European Commission should therefore propose an ambitious post-2020 renewable energy package that fosters a vibrant home market with clear growth perspectives and asserts the EU’s leadership in renewables in the face of rising international competition, the signatories said.
The European renewables industry has identified the following ten priorities for the 2016 renewables legislative package: