Commission to seek 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions

THE European Commission is to propose a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 as part of a major energy policy for the Union.

However, a survey of Irish and other EU consumers’ show they are more concerned with rising energy costs than in reducing emissions or fighting global warming.

The new policy, being touted as a modern industrial revolution, will be unveiled tomorrow by Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

“The days of secure, cheap energy for Europe are over,” the commissioner will warn in his Strategic Energy Review.

The EU currently depends on imported oil and gas for half its energy needs, but this will jump to 65% by 2030. This will raise carbon emissions and leave the EU vulnerable to actions such as Russia’s latest price rise.

Mr Piebalgs will propose a three-year action plan. This will:

Encourage greater competition between electricity and gas companies.

Set a target for renewable energies for 2020, possibly 20% of the total consumption.

Improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020.

€6 billion in energy related funding over the next seven years including a major increase in spending on low-carbon technologies.

A common EU energy policy in dealing with foreign energy suppliers such as Russia and transit countries like Ukraine and Belarus.

But the commission will have to convince the European Parliament and the member states of the benefits of the new policy, and will have to change the attitudes of consumers before it can be implemented.

Despite the governments asking for the policy following last year’s scare when Russia cut off oil supplies through Ukraine. Germany and France, in particular, are reluctant to break the monopolies of their electricity companies.

A survey of attitudes throughout the 27 member states showed that despite all the highlighting of global warming, consumers are not convinced. Energy was important to just 14% of those questioned in Ireland and across the EU, coming about 12th in a list of issues that put crime, health and employment first.