EU 2030 Renewable Targets Must Be Backed Up – Lords Committee

The House of Lords EU Committee has today published its report on EU energy governance and states that the EU-wide binding 2030 renewables target will not be delivered unless it is backed-up by an monitoring and enforcement mechanism that acts as a guarantor for the agreement, and ensures that Member States share the effort equitably.

The Committee call on the European Council to ask the European Commission to introduce a monitoring and enforcement mechanism that guarantees the agreement and ensures Member States live up to their own commitments and share fairly the effort to meet the 2030 targets.

The report also calls on the UK government to do more to report on its own progress on energy and climate goals. The Government should also be clearer about its own long term renewable energy strategy and energy and climate targets to ensure investors are confident to invest in energy for the long term.

The Committee support the development of capacity markets to ensure security of energy supply. To help the development of these markets the report recommends common standards across the EU, opening up national energy markets to cross-border transactions and greater cooperation across Member States. Regional energy networks could help to reduce over production and ensure energy produced isn’t wasted, for example when excess energy from wind power is produced in on country experiencing high winds this should be transferred via a regional network to another country to avoid that second country burning more fossil fuels to produce the energy it needs.

Commenting Baroness Scott of Needham Market, Chairman of the Committee, said: “Energy is of crucial importance to everyone in Europe; we all rely on a consistent and affordable supply of energy. Making sure that the lights stay on at home and that businesses are supplied with power is critical. We are also face a huge climate change challenge. The current historically warm winter is a reminder that burning fossil fuels is having an impact on our climate right now that must be addressed.

“The question for the EU is how to meet the twin challenges of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels while also ensuring abundant and affordable energy supply. We think the European Commission’s flagship Energy Union Strategy is broadly on the right lines but now is the time to ensure it is delivered by across Europe and by Member States domestically.

“That is why we are calling for the EU-wide binding 2030 renewables targets to be backed up by a monitoring and enforcement mechanism that acts as a guarantor for the agreement, and ensures that Member States share the effort equitably. If we are to focus national government minds on meeting their responsibilities they have to know how far they have got to go domestically and have a clear idea on how they will get there. To that end we recommend that our own government should be clearer and more open about progress in meeting its own targets and also provide consistency in energy and renewable policy to provide investors with the confidence to provide the funding needed to meet our targets.”