In
2009 the European Commission released its Renewable Energy Directive (RED) laying
out the legally-binding shares of renewable energy European Member States
should incorporate in their energy budget for the 2009-2020 period. In 2020,
20% of the energy consumed in the EU came from renewable sources, therefore
successfully meeting the target set out by the RED I framework. Building upon
this impressive achievement, the Union agreed on a revised version of the RED
(RED II) to set out the approaches and aspirations for the period from 2021 to
2030 to build on the momentum achieved to date. RED II has now raised the aspiration
to deliver 32% of the EU’s final energy demand from sustainable renewable energy
resources by 2030.
Building
on the lessons learnt over the past decade, RED II is not only raising the bar
on key targets already introduced by RED I, it is also solidifying the
foundations of the framework by making sure that all of those involved share a
similar knowledge of what is at stake, and by securing the funds needed to make
sure the EU reaches its goal by 2030.
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