Climate action:

1

• Climate action
• Renewable Energy Directive
• European Commission

2
Renewable Energy Policy Today
Differences in the legislative framework for
electricity, biofuels, and heating and cooling at
EU level are reflected in the development of the
three sectors

• Clear growth in electricity
• The recent start of solid growth in biofuels
• The slow growth rate for heating and cooling

3
New Renewables Policy

• Increase share of renewables in EU energy mix to
  address the three pillars of energy policy
• from 8.5 today to 20 by 2020 (final energy
  consumption)
• Binding overall renewables target for each Member
  State and minimum 10 biofuels in each Member
  State.

4
The renewables Directive

• Sets mandatory national targets for renewable
  energy shares, including 10 biofuels share, in
  2020 (Articles 3 and 5)
• Requires national action plans (Article 4)
• Standardises guarantees of origin (certifying
  the renewable origin of electricity or heat)
  (Articles 6, 7, 8 and 10)
• Enables the transfer of guarantees of origin to
  give Member States flexibility to meet their
  targets by developing cheaper non domestic
  renewable energy (Article 9)
• Reforms, or requires reforms of administrative
  and regulatory barriers to the growth of
  renewable energy (Article 12)
• Requires improvements in provision of information
  and training regarding renewable energy (Article
  13)
• Improves renewables access to the electricity
  grid (Article 14)
• Creates a sustainability regime for biofuels
  (Articles 15-18)

5
National renewables targets

• Sets mandatory national targets for renewable
  energy shares, including 10 biofuels share, in
  2020 from 8.5 to 20 for the EU overall.

6
National action plans

• National action plans
• Sectoral targets now set by Member States
  (including heating and cooling)
• Measures adequate to achieve the targets
  including planned development of biomass
  resources
• Provides policy stability for investment
• Necessary for monitoring the implementation of
  the Directive.

7
Guarantees of origin

• Standardises guarantees of origin (certifying
  the renewable origin of electricity or heat)
• Standardises information requirements, issuing,
  transfer and cancellation procedures
• The transfer of guarantees of origin gives Member
  States flexibility to meet their targets by
  developing cheaper renewable energy abroad
• GOs from new installations may be transferred by
  companies (persons)
• Member States may create a system to require
  prior government approval of such transfers
• Member States meeting their trajectory may
  transfer extra GOs to other Member States

8
Administrative and grid reforms

• Reforms of administrative and regulatory barriers
  to the growth of renewable energy
• simplification and streamlined procedures
• planning authorities to consider renewable energy
  and district heating and cooling systems
• minimum levels of renewable energy in building
  codes for new or refurbished buildings
• Systematic provision of information about support
  etc.
• Certification regimes for installers mutual
  recognition
• Member States to review cost sharing rules for
  grid and reduce discrimination against renewable
  energy

9
Promotion of biofuels (1)

• Sustainability criteria for biofuels
• GHG savings minimum of 35
• No raw material from undisturbed forests,
  biodiverse grassland, nature protection areas
  (unless taken harmlessly)
• No conversion of wetlands and continuously
  forested areas for biofuel production (to protect
  carbon stocks)
• All EU biofuels must meet cross compliance
  environmental rules

10
Promotion of biofuels (2)

• Consequences of not meeting the criteria
• Biofuels do not count towards targets
• Not eligible for national biofuel obligations
• Not eligible for tax exemptions and similar
  financial support
• Verification of compliance
• Responsibility of Member States
• To reduce the administrative burden, Commission
  can decide that certification schemes give
  reliable proof of compliance
• If so, all Member States have to accept these
  certificates as proof

11
How do we get there?
12
The impacts

• Reduce annual CO2 emissions by between 600-900
  Mt,
• reduce annual fossil fuel demand by 250 Mtoe and
  
• promote Europes leading industrial and
  technological role (20 billion turnover and
  300.000 jobs)
• costs range from 10.6bn - 18bn p.a. for the EU
  depending on oil price assumptions, financing,
  technology mix, and competition in the market
• (BUT the costs of renewable energy technology
  continue to fall substantially)

13
Thank you for your attentionemese.kottasz_at_ec.euro
pa.eu