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| European Union Lowers Its Ambitions on Renewable Energy | European Union Lowers Its Ambitions on Renewable Energy |
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| LONDON — Tempering its environmental ambitions in the face of harsh economic realities, the European Union on Wednesday proposed an end to binding national targets for renewable energy production while aiming for an overall cut of 40 percent in Europe’s carbon emissions by 2030. | LONDON — Tempering its environmental ambitions in the face of harsh economic realities, the European Union on Wednesday proposed an end to binding national targets for renewable energy production while aiming for an overall cut of 40 percent in Europe’s carbon emissions by 2030. |
| Under the plans, outlined after tough internal negotiations, country-by country targets for renewable energy would be replaced by an overall objective for Europe, which would aim to increase the proportion of its energy provided by renewables to 27 percent. | Under the plans, outlined after tough internal negotiations, country-by country targets for renewable energy would be replaced by an overall objective for Europe, which would aim to increase the proportion of its energy provided by renewables to 27 percent. |
| The proposals, launched by the European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation bloc, highlight the extent to which Europe’s deep economic crisis has forced it to scale back its aspirations to lead the fight against global warming. | The proposals, launched by the European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation bloc, highlight the extent to which Europe’s deep economic crisis has forced it to scale back its aspirations to lead the fight against global warming. |
| The Commission also decided against proposing laws on environmental damage and safety during the extraction of shale gas by a controversial drilling process known as fracking. It opted instead for a series of minimum principles that it said it would monitor. | |
| The European Union last outlined targets in 2007 and, after that initiative, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, described the bloc’s climate change ambitions as a fundamental test of Europe’s “capacity to lead.” | The European Union last outlined targets in 2007 and, after that initiative, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, described the bloc’s climate change ambitions as a fundamental test of Europe’s “capacity to lead.” |
| Six years, a financial crisis and several disappointing attempts at international consensus later, the tone in Brussels was more one of relief than euphoria that a proposal had been agreed upon. | |
| Mr. Barroso told a news conference that Europe’s leadership on climate change remained “beyond doubt” but added that the targets were “ambitious and affordable” and stressed that they were “realistic.” The proposals need the agreement of national governments and the European Parliament to become binding. | Mr. Barroso told a news conference that Europe’s leadership on climate change remained “beyond doubt” but added that the targets were “ambitious and affordable” and stressed that they were “realistic.” The proposals need the agreement of national governments and the European Parliament to become binding. |
| “In spite of all those arguing that nothing ambitious would come out of the Commission today, we did it,” Connie Hedegaard, the commissioner for climate action, said in a statement. | “In spite of all those arguing that nothing ambitious would come out of the Commission today, we did it,” Connie Hedegaard, the commissioner for climate action, said in a statement. |
| The trade-off for backing away from binding targets for renewable energy was a relatively ambitious overall objective for carbon emissions reduction that would increase from 20 percent in 2020 to around 40 percent in 2030, relative to 1990 levels. | |
| Mr. Barroso said that several nations had been pressing for a lower target and that “no capital was proposing more than 40 percent.” He also added that, even if Europe were to commit itself to zero emissions, that would not solve global problems without more action from other big economies. | |
| Ms. Hedegaard defended the 40 percent target from criticism from environmental groups that were pressing for a bigger number. “It will require a lot from Europe,” she said. “If all other big economies followed our example the world would be a better place.” | |
| Those statements underline the uncomfortable position Europe has been in since it tried to seize the initiative on climate change in 2007 when it outlined its last set of targets, for 2020. “The European Union said it wanted to lead globally but it quickly discovered that other countries were not willing to engage in a race to the top,” said Andrew Jordan, a professor at the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, part of the University of East Anglia. | |
| “It is now in the awkward position, having stepped forward, of delivering more ambitious targets to demonstrate its determination to keep leading.” | |
| To get European governments to sign up to those ambitions, the new strategy is to give national capitals much more freedom over how they fight climate change. | |
| European nations would still agree to formulate national plans for individual targets for CO2 emission cuts, but they would not be required to hit specific objectives for renewable energy production. Instead they would have the flexibility to decide on their own path toward a lower carbon economy. | European nations would still agree to formulate national plans for individual targets for CO2 emission cuts, but they would not be required to hit specific objectives for renewable energy production. Instead they would have the flexibility to decide on their own path toward a lower carbon economy. |
| The target for the European Union as a whole for renewable energy would increase from 20 percent by 2020 to 27 percent by 2030. How the bloc’s nations would agree on burden-sharing remains unclear, though some form of internal bargaining seems likely. | The target for the European Union as a whole for renewable energy would increase from 20 percent by 2020 to 27 percent by 2030. How the bloc’s nations would agree on burden-sharing remains unclear, though some form of internal bargaining seems likely. |
| “The details of the framework will now have to be agreed, but the direction for Europe has been set,” Ms. Hedegaard said. “If all other regions were equally ambitious about tackling climate change, the world would be in significantly better shape.” | “The details of the framework will now have to be agreed, but the direction for Europe has been set,” Ms. Hedegaard said. “If all other regions were equally ambitious about tackling climate change, the world would be in significantly better shape.” |
| The move to scrap mandatory national targets for renewable energy was welcomed by Britain, which was one of the nations that argued that the current system prevented the country reducing carbon emissions as cheaply as possible. | The move to scrap mandatory national targets for renewable energy was welcomed by Britain, which was one of the nations that argued that the current system prevented the country reducing carbon emissions as cheaply as possible. |
| “It makes no sense to impose artificial constraints on how individual countries meet emissions targets. We are determined to keep people’s energy bills as low as possible and that means having the flexibility to cut emissions in the most cost-effective way,” said a spokesman for the British Department of Energy and Climate Change who asked not to be named, in line with government policy. | “It makes no sense to impose artificial constraints on how individual countries meet emissions targets. We are determined to keep people’s energy bills as low as possible and that means having the flexibility to cut emissions in the most cost-effective way,” said a spokesman for the British Department of Energy and Climate Change who asked not to be named, in line with government policy. |
| But the European Wind Energy Association, which promotes wind power, attacked the proposals. “The previously farsighted and ambitious European Commission is a shadow of its former self, hiding behind the U.K. and other backward-looking member states and lobbies,” its chief executive, Thomas Becker, said in a statement. | But the European Wind Energy Association, which promotes wind power, attacked the proposals. “The previously farsighted and ambitious European Commission is a shadow of its former self, hiding behind the U.K. and other backward-looking member states and lobbies,” its chief executive, Thomas Becker, said in a statement. |
| Energy policy has long been a cause of tension between the European Union’s biggest states, and Wednesday’s announcement comes against the backdrop of a shale gas revolution in the United States and fierce debates in Europe over the place of nuclear power, renewables and the Continent’s reserves of shale. | Energy policy has long been a cause of tension between the European Union’s biggest states, and Wednesday’s announcement comes against the backdrop of a shale gas revolution in the United States and fierce debates in Europe over the place of nuclear power, renewables and the Continent’s reserves of shale. |
| Officials and academics argue that a shift in thinking reflects the extent to which the economic and political environment has changed since 2007, when the bloc signed up to its last set of targets. Besides the 20 percent targets for cutting emissions and increasing consumption from renewables by 2020, they included a 20 percent improvement in energy efficiency — all from 1990 levels. Europe has achieved most of the emissions goal, with estimates that it has reduced emissions over all by about 18 percent. | Officials and academics argue that a shift in thinking reflects the extent to which the economic and political environment has changed since 2007, when the bloc signed up to its last set of targets. Besides the 20 percent targets for cutting emissions and increasing consumption from renewables by 2020, they included a 20 percent improvement in energy efficiency — all from 1990 levels. Europe has achieved most of the emissions goal, with estimates that it has reduced emissions over all by about 18 percent. |
| However, hopes that an integrated European energy market could be forged quickly have been dashed. Subsidies for renewable energy differ among European nations and a carbon emissions trading system has failed to have the impact that its architects had hoped for. | However, hopes that an integrated European energy market could be forged quickly have been dashed. Subsidies for renewable energy differ among European nations and a carbon emissions trading system has failed to have the impact that its architects had hoped for. |
| “The world has changed significantly since the climate and energy package went through in 2007-8,” said Andrew Jordan, a professor at the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, part of the University of East Anglia. | “The world has changed significantly since the climate and energy package went through in 2007-8,” said Andrew Jordan, a professor at the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, part of the University of East Anglia. |
| Environmental concerns have slipped down the agenda as the Continent’s economies struggle to create jobs and growth amid Europe’s worst economic crisis in decades. Simultaneously the scientific consensus that once prevailed over made-man climate change has faced greater challenge in Europe. | Environmental concerns have slipped down the agenda as the Continent’s economies struggle to create jobs and growth amid Europe’s worst economic crisis in decades. Simultaneously the scientific consensus that once prevailed over made-man climate change has faced greater challenge in Europe. |
| In addition, nations within the bloc have very different perspectives on energy. France sees nuclear power as an important source of energy while Germany aims to phase it out by 2022. Poland, meanwhile, is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. For several East European nations, independence from Russian gas supplies is of primary importance, while this factor is less pronounced in more western countries. | In addition, nations within the bloc have very different perspectives on energy. France sees nuclear power as an important source of energy while Germany aims to phase it out by 2022. Poland, meanwhile, is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. For several East European nations, independence from Russian gas supplies is of primary importance, while this factor is less pronounced in more western countries. |
| Still, the European Union wants to adopt a new strategy for the years after 2020 to help power generators plan investment in a sector where policy shifts take years. | Still, the European Union wants to adopt a new strategy for the years after 2020 to help power generators plan investment in a sector where policy shifts take years. |
| Despite several setbacks, the international climate change process is maintaining pressure on Europeans to produce a coherent strategy. Next year, international negotiators are due to meet in Paris to make another attempt to strike a global deal, and the European Union wants to start the debate now in time to have a common stance by next year. | Despite several setbacks, the international climate change process is maintaining pressure on Europeans to produce a coherent strategy. Next year, international negotiators are due to meet in Paris to make another attempt to strike a global deal, and the European Union wants to start the debate now in time to have a common stance by next year. |