EU needs to double efforts to boost energy efficiency, commission warns

THE EU needs to double its efforts to boost energy efficiency in order to cut greenhouse gases, the European Commission warned yesterday.

It suggested efforts such as producing better household appliances, renovating public buildings and private homes, and driving improved cars.

The commission said the European Union can cut greenhouse gases 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, surpassing its own 20% target, through an efficiency campaign in transportation, construction and agriculture.

“The good news is we don’t need to wait for technological breakthroughs,” said climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard, because existing technologies are enough. “We need to start the transition toward a competitive low carbon economy now.”

The overall goal is to cut emissions 80% by 2050. The plan, adopted yesterday in Strasbourg, France, sets milestones of 40% by 2030 and 60% by 2040.

The plan, called Roadmap 2050, is to be presented to the European Parliament and member states for drawing up appropriate legislation.

Environmentalists criticised the commission for refusing to revise the overall emissions target for 2020 from 20% to 30% below its level in 1990. The EU has said it will only raise that target as part of an international agreement requiring other industrial countries to radically reduce emissions.

“It’s a bit disappointing the commission hasn’t come out with a 30% greenhouse gas target. All the analysis shows it’s very cheap, it’s the kind of thing we can do,” said Sanjeev Kumar of the environmental group E3G.

The plan envisions investments of €270 billion a year, or 1.5% of the EU’s economic output, but said most or all of that would be recovered through lower oil and gas imports.

Over the next 40 years, fuel costs could fall by €175bn to €320bn a year, the commission said, but without action those bills will more than double.

The plan calls for a tightening of Europe’s cap and trade scheme, under which companies have limits on the amount of greenhouse gases they emit. They can buy extra credits if they exceed their limit from companies that emit less than allowed.

The commission said at the current rate the EU will improve its energy efficiency by 9% by 2020, less than half its target.