Europe News
5TH EU agrees binding target to boost renewable energy (Roundup)
By DPA
Mar 8, 2007, 22:23 GMT
Brussels - Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt on Thursday said European Union leaders had clinched agreement on an overall binding target for boosting renewable energy use by 20 per cent, a three-fold increase compared to current consumption.
But the 27-nation bloc still faces tough bargaining over fixing individual targets for driving up the share of renewable energy for each country.
'We have concluded that we need a target for renewable energy supply and that it should be binding,' said Reinfeldt as EU leaders ended a first day of talks on new measures to curb climate change.
EU leaders also reached agreement on a 20 per cent unilateral cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. Once again, however, leaders said details of the share-out would be hammered out later.
An EU summit statement said the distribution of CO2 cuts would be 'fair and transparent' and also take account of 'national circumstances.'
The opening round of the EU summit was dominated by French President Jacques Chirac's demands that efforts to boost renewable energy must go hand-in-hand with increased reliance on nuclear power.
'We should collectively fix an ambitious objective for low-carbon energy in Europe,' said Chirac, according to French diplomats.
The French President said he favoured the goal of increasing renewable energy use in Europe. But 'this is only a partial response,' cautioned Chirac.
'We know that we will need to use other low-carbon energy sources - clean coal and nuclear - to achieve our objectives against climate change,' he said.
Chirac underlined that France, which is a major user of nuclear power, had lower carbon dioxide emission levels than Germany.
The EU agreement on climate change - despite key missing details - is a political victory for German Chancellor Angela Merkel who has been calling on EU governments to agree to a mandatory target for increasing the share of renewable energy to 20 per cent in overall EU energy consumption by 2020.
Renewable energy currently accounts for 7 per cent of EU energy usage.
Germany is current president of the EU and Merkel is hosting the Brussels meeting.
Backing the French line on nuclear power, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said that 'nuclear energy has been one of the most important carbon-free energy sources contributing to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.'
'As the price of nuclear energy does not depend on oil prices and no uranium shortages are foreseen ... nuclear energy significantly contributes to the security of supply in the EU,' he said.
The focus on nuclear power, however, ran into strong resistance from Austria.
'We would not accept any European wording that puts an emphasis on further concentration on nuclear energy,' said Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer.
The Austrian leader said the summit must not send a signal that 'the future green energy is nuclear energy.'
However, Britain, Luxembourg, Sweden and Denmark are among key nations backing the German call for tougher goals on renewables.
'If we don't manage to set targets for renewables, then Europe will not assume a leadership role,' warned Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean Claude Juncker.
'I think the European Union should go green,' said Danish Premier Anders Fogh Rasmussen, adding: 'I'm in favour of binding targets ... we should focus much stronger on renewable energy.'
But EU businesses oppose setting legally binding targets on renewable energy, arguing this would put Europe at a disadvantage compared to its competitors.
Finland and a number of EU newcomers, including the Czech Republic, Hungary and Bulgaria, are also wary of a sole focus on renewables.
Finland is a high consumer of energy for its paper industry, and coal remains a vital source of power in central and eastern European states. Governments in the region also say they do not have the resources required to invest in expensive renewable energy.
The EU accounts for about 14 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions while the United States, the largest polluter, produces some 25 per cent.
The commission has said that investment in a low-carbon economy will require around 0.5 per cent of total global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the period 2013-2030.
The EU's new stance will be the basis for new negotiations on a new international climate change treaty which will replace the current Kyoto Protocol as of 2012.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur |
