The EU’s long-term strategy for emissions reduction must have renewable energy at its centre. The comments come as the European Commission announces its intention to renew the EU’s 2050 energy and climate strategy.
In a joint statement, the Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres (EUREC), Bioenergy Europe, European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC), European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF), European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA), Ocean Energy Europe, Solar Heat Europe and Solar Power Europe stress that investing in renewables “is essential to future-proof the wider European economy.”
The renewable energy industry is a major driver of Europe’s reindustrialisation. It creates thousands of local jobs, provides new opportunities for workers and brings economic development to European regions. An ambitious vision for 2050 will send a clear signal to investors, enterprises and citizens.
It will show that the EU is committed to remaining a long-term world leader in renewables, and to deploying renewables across all parts of the European economy the signatories highlight while cautioning that following the successful negotiation of the Renewable Energy Directive, the momentum must not be lost.
To fully decarbonise its energy system, the EU will need all renewable energy technologies, across all sectors. Renewables’ tremendous track record of technology improvements and cost reductions makes it clear that we should have a 100 percent renewable energy system by 2050, said Rémi Gruet, CEO, Ocean Energy Europe.
