European Parliament Sets Targets On Renewables And Energy Efficiency
On November 13, 2018, the European Parliament (EP) announced its approval of new targets for renewables and energy efficiency rates to be achieved by 2030. According to the press release, “by 2030, energy efficiency in the [European Union (EU)] has to have improved by 32.5%, whereas the share of energy from renewables should be at least 32% of the EU’s gross final consumption.” Highlighting the crucial role of second generation biofuels rather than first generation biofuels which lead to land use changes, the EP declared that the latter will no longer count towards the EU energy goals from 2030. Starting in 2019, the plan is to phase out first generation biofuels gradually until it reaches zero. By December 31, 2019, member states will be required to present a ten-year national energy and climate plan, which outlines the national measures that will be taken.