The EU and Climate Change

On Wednesday the European Commission removed legislation focused on country specific renewable energy targets after 2020. It was done to give countries "flexibility" on the percentage of total energy consumption coming from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. But the European Commission has left the overall EU target of 27 per cent renewable energy by 2030. This move by the European Commission is, in my opinion, reckless and unrealistic.

Many European countries are finding it difficult to switch to renewable energy sources even if they are cost effective, because they lack the finance to invest in large amounts of new energy infrastructure, but the specific long term targets forces states to switch to renewable energy sources. This move now allows member states to relax about renewable energy targets. Some EU members are already becoming lazy with complying with the Renewable Energy Directive; this is forcing the European Commission to take cases in the Court of Justice against countries who fail to commit to their energy targets, including Austria, Poland and Cyprus. The removal of the specific long term targets means many countries will remove their aims to eventually become energy efficient, and the EU has a whole will have a slim chance of reaching its 27 per cent target by 2030. This means we will be living in an unhealthy, polluted, fossil fuel dependent world for many years to come.Courtesy of interestingenergyfacts.blogspot.ie