Parliament Backs Boost for Renewables Use and Energy Savings

European Union (EU)Feedstocks Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues Forestry/Wood/Residues/Waste Opinions Policy Sustainability

September 15, 2022

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(European Parliament) Share of renewable energy to be raised to 45% by 2030; Energy savings targets increased to 40% of final energy consumption, and 42.5% of primary energy consumption; Revision of two laws will help fight climate change and boost energy security --By 2030, the European Parliament wants renewable energy to be used much more, and energy consumption to be greatly reduced.

On Wednesday, MEPs voted to raise the share of renewables in the EU’s final energy consumption to 45% by 2030, under the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) -a target also backed by the European Commission under its "RepowerEU" package.

The legislation also defines sub-targets for sectors such as transport, buildings, and district heating and cooling. In the transport sector, deploying renewables should lead to a 16% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, through the use of higher shares of advanced biofuels and a more ambitious quota for renewable fuels of non-biological origin such as hydrogen. Industry should boost its use of renewables by 1.9 percentage points per year, and district heating networks by 2.3 points.

Each member state will have to develop two cross-border projects for the expansion of green electricity. Member states with an annual electricity consumption of more than 100 TWh will have to develop a third one by 2030.

MEPs also adopted amendments calling for phasing down the share of primary wood counted as renewable energy.

The text was adopted with 418 votes in favour, 109 against and 111 abstentions.

Energy savings

In a separate vote on Wednesday, MEPs backed the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), the law that sets energy-saving targets in both primary and final energy consumption in the EU.

MEPs raised the EU target for reducing final and primary energy consumption, so that member states must collectively ensure final energy consumption is reduced by at least 40% by 2030 and 42.5% in primary energy consumption compared to 2007 projections. This corresponds to 740 and 960 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) for final and primary energy consumption, respectively. Member states should set binding national contributions to achieve these targets.

The targets will be met through measures at local, regional, national and European levels, in different sectors - e.g. public administration, buildings, businesses, data centres.

The text was adopted with 469 votes in favour, 93 against and 82 abstentions. READ MORE

Quotes

"Only the expansion of renewable energy means true independence" said Markus Pieper (EPP, DE), lead MEP on the renewable energy directive. "We strongly support the increased 2030 target of 45%. We confirm the need for more cross-border cooperation to expand renewable energy deployment, and call for a diversified import strategy for hydrogen. We have also raised the requirements for the sustainability of biomass and fuels, and showed ways in which biogenic materials can make a real economic contribution to the energy transition.”

Niels Fuglsang (S&D, DK), rapporteur on the energy efficiency directive, said: ". We are in a crisis where Putin is shutting off gas. One of our most effective answers to this is energy efficiency. It is crucial Parliament has today voted for ambitious and binding energy efficiency targets for the EU and for individual member states."

Next steps

MEPs and the Czech Presidency of the Council will now enter into negotiations on the files, on which EU Ministers have set their position in June.

Background

On 14 July 2021, the European Commission adopted the 'Fit for 55' package, adapting existing climate and energy legislation to meet the new EU objective of a minimum 55% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. One element of the package is the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), which will help the EU deliver the new 55% GHG target. Under RED II currently in force, the EU is obliged to ensure at least 32% of its energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources by 2030.

The “Fit for 55” package also includes the recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), aligning its provisions to the new 55% GHG target. The EED currently sets out the level of energy savings the EU needs to make to meet the agreed goal of 32.5% energy efficiency improvements by 2030. READ MORE

ePURE: EU rejects attempt to further limit sustainable biofuels (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine)

European Parliament votes in plenary session to raise renewable energy to 45% by 2030 (European Parliament/Biobased Diesel Daily)

Changing EU’s ‘high ILUC-risk feedstock’ criteria, shortening transition time will damage energy, ag (FEDIOL/Biobased Diesel Daily)

Excerpt from ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine: The European Parliament voted today to keep a limited but vital role for sustainable biofuels such as renewable ethanol in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from EU transport.

MEPs rejected amendments that would have placed further restrictions on European crop-based biofuels, which are already capped at a maximum of 7 percent of Member States’ road and rail energy and are subject to strict sustainability criteria. Additional restrictions would have made it harder for Member States to reach their decarbonisation objectives and opened the door to more imports of fossil fuel. MEPs voted widely to keep the existing cap in place, in line with the Commission’s proposal.

“The European Parliament has wisely ignored an onslaught of misleading claims about the sustainability of European biofuels such as renewable ethanol, and instead supported a continuing role for this important renewable energy source in the decarbonisation of EU transport,” said David Carpintero, director general of ePURE, the European renewable energy association.

“European biorefineries make a strategic contribution to EU food security and energy independence,” Carpintero added. “Everyone agrees on the need to move beyond fossil fuels, and renewable ethanol is a domestic EU solution that is immediate, cost-effective, sustainable and socially inclusive. As final negotiations between the European Commission, Parliament and Member States kick off, we will be working to ensure this role for sustainable biofuels is preserved. The only alternative is an unacceptable one: opening the door to more imported fossil fuel.”

Renewable ethanol from ePURE members reduced GHG emissions by 77 percent compared to fossil fuel in 2021, when its production created more feed than fuel. ePURE members' ethanol production in 2021 required less than 1.8 million hectares (Mha) of European arable land, equivalent to only 1.7 percent of the total arable land of EU27 and the U.K. READ MORE

Excerpt from FEDIOL/Biobased Diesel Daily: According to FEDIOL, the European Parliament changing criteria in RED III for "high ILUC-risk feedstocks" and shortening the transition time will have a negative impact on soybean production in the EU.

The EU vegetable oil and protein meal industry association FEDIOL welcomed the European Parliament’s decision to maintain the role of crop-based biofuels in meeting the EU’s transport renewable energy target.

The organization added, however, that it regrets the European Parliament’s approach on high indirect land-use change (ILUC) feedstocks, which departs from the European Commission’s position and could lead to further instability in the EU energy market.

Following the vote on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), FEDIOL stated that it is pleased the European Parliament is aligned with the European Commission and European Council on maintaining the 7 percent cap on crop-based biofuels.

Crop-based biofuels are an immediate and cost-effective tool to reduce emissions in the transport sector and will help reduce the EU’s dependence on fossil-fuel imports.

Overall, maintaining crop-based biofuels will support the EU’s energy security as well as its higher target for the use of renewable energy by 2030.

But the European Parliament has taken a different approach than the commission and council on the measures regarding high ILUC-risk feedstocks.

While economic operators in the EU have been preparing for a phaseout of high ILUC-risk feedstocks by 2030 as well as low ILUC-risk certification, the European Parliament proposes to exclude them as of entry into force of the directive.

Furthermore, it has changed part of the criteria adopted by the commission on the determination of high ILUC-risk feedstocks.

Changing the criteria and shortening the transition time will be disruptive and damaging to industries with negative repercussions on the production of high-protein feed.

An appropriate interim period should be maintained, in line with RED II, to allow industries to adapt to the new provisions, search for new raw material, and develop appropriate technologies.

It should be reminded that all soy and palm oil currently contributing to the EU renewable-energy targets comply with the strict sustainability requirements of RED II.

Changing the criteria of the commission’s delegated act on high ILUC-risk feedstocks (i.e., lowering the threshold for the average annual expansion of the global production area in high-carbon stocks to 7.9 percent) will also have a negative impact on soy production in the EU, including Austria, Belgium, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Greece.

FEDIOL calls on the council to stick to its decision to maintain the commission’s approach on high ILUC-risk provisions to avoid further disruptions to the EU’s energy security and to EU industry. READ MORE