A joint letter, organised by the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), was sent today to the European Parliament president Martin Schulz, EU energy ministers and the EU energy and climate commissioners.
It noted the success of the existing 20-20-20 framework in setting “a clear direction” for industry and the urgent need for a 2030 framework “given the long investment cycles in the energy sector”. The letter continues: “Such a framework bears the opportunity to reduce the current costs of uncertainty, mobilise the needed funding, help to protect the environment, decrease the costs of decarbonisation, facilitate the creation of new jobs and enhance the EU’s technology leadership.”
REA chief executive, Dr Nina Skorupska, said: “The UK remains in the bottom three of the EU renewables league table with only 4 percent renewables while Sweden tops the table with almost 50 percent. The UK has only scratched the surface so far in terms of the opportunities for growth, innovation, jobs and exports that renewables can bring to UK plc.
“But government has learned a lot from working within this 20-20-20 framework, and it makes sense to go for a similar framework for 2030, including a binding renewables target. This will enable government to build on those lessons, reassure investors, scale up the industry, boost our energy security, reduce our emissions and grow our budding green economy.”