Policy Framework for Climate and Energy 2020-2030

The EESC supports:

• the proposal to set the target for reducing GHG emissions by 2030 at 40%, because this is in accordance with the target of a 80-95% reduction by 2050 while still being ambitious,
• the proposal for a common target of at least 27% for the share of renewable energy sources, because this would help avoid unintended negative effects of current policies while supporting increased use of renewables in a common energy market,
• the proposal for a new iterative governance method.

The EESC recommends:

• consideration of sectoral targets for energy efficiency, for instance in the building sector, in order to tap the huge potential of this most promising way towards energy policy goals in a cost-effective manner,
• developing methods of drawing up and implementing the proposed national plans with the genuine involvement of civil society and making consultation of neighbouring countries mandatory before national decisions with far-reaching consequences,
• taking a decisive step towards a real European Energy Community by coordinating national plans, particularly with a view to securing the EU’s energy supply,
• providing more information on plans to step up action in the non-ETS sector, particularly in the transport, agriculture and land use sectors,
• ensuring sufficient measures to avoid carbon leakage in energy intensive industries,
• taking radical action on innovation and research as the providers of real solutions to the challenges, in combination with measures to promote the manufacture of equipment for the low carbon economy, while and ensuring that delivery by industry is supported by better training, and
• making the international development of climate policies the top priority and in parallel paying more attention to adaptation to climate change.