Ahead of the European Council meeting in Brussels on 23-24 October, Cooperatives Europe has called for more ambitious targets for the 2030 energy framework.
In an energy policy briefing, the Alliance’s regional organisation encouraged the EU Council to put citizens at the heart of its energy policy.
“Citizens can play a crucial role not only as consumers, but also as collective energy producers and vectors of increased energy efficiency. For those reasons the 2030 framework and the Energy Security Strategy should enhance citizen-based energy initiatives,” reads the policy briefing.
The document also asks EU heads of state to focus on reducing oil and gas imports by stimulating greater energy efficiencies and increasing the share of renewable energy.
Cooperatives Europe believes that in order to achieve a secure and sustainable energy framework, the Council and the Commission will place a stronger emphasis on the role of EU citizens in decreasing energy dependency.
The organisation suggested setting more ambitious targets for the 2030 framework beyond the current proposals with three binding targets beyond 30% at EU level for energy efficiency, renewable energy share and greenhouse gas emission reductions. The document also proposes reducing oil and gas imports by stimulating greater energy efficiencies and increasing the share of renewable energies. Fostering more district heating and decentralised renewable energy production, in order to decrease the EU’s external energy dependency.
Klaus Niederländer, Director at Cooperatives Europe, said: “Cooperatives Europe calls on the EU Heads of State to be more ambitious with regard to setting climate and energy targets for 2030. The next set of targets will be essential in making the energy transition really work and irreversible. Europe needs a strong vision in energy with EU citizens' buy-in to create a sustainable and secure energy policy and to effectively combat climate change. Decentralised systems of renewable energy production and distribution through cooperatives will play their part in that.”
The EU Council meeting resulted in European leaders agreeing to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. They also agreed a 27% increase in the renewable energy market share, which is binding on the EU as a whole, and a 27% increase in energy efficiency improvement, which is optional, but could be raised to 30% by a review in 2020.
Picture: EU Council
