Green Fade-Out: Europe to Ditch Climate Protection Goals

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: Spiegel Online

The EU's reputation as a model of environmental responsibility may soon be history. The European Commission wants to forgo ambitious climate protection goals and pave the way for fracking -- jeopardizing Germany's touted energy revolution in the process.

The climate between Brussels and Berlin is polluted, something European Commission officials attribute, among other things, to the "reckless" way German Chancellor Angela Merkel blocked stricter exhaust emissions during her re-election campaign to placate domestic automotive manufacturers like Daimler and BMW. This kind of blatant self-interest, officials complained at the time, is poisoning the climate.

But now it seems that the climate is no longer of much importance to the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, either. Commission sources have long been hinting that the body intends to move away from ambitious climate protection goals. On Tuesday, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported as much.

At the request of Commission President José Manuel Barroso, EU member states are no longer to receive specific guidelines for the development ofrenewable energy. The stated aim of increasing the share of green energy across the EU to up to 27 percent will hold. But how seriously countries tackle this project will no longer be regulated within the plan. As of 2020 at the latest -- when the current commitment to further increase the share of green energy expires -- climate protection in the EU will apparently be pursued on a voluntary basis.



Read more: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/european-commission-move-away-from-climate-protection-goals-a-943664.html

[elzenmahn]

1. This is sad...

...Europe was actually leading the way in sustainable energy.

And we all know what it means to follow guidelines on a "voluntary basis" - as in, not at all.

What's it going to take, people?

[Jesus Malverde]

2. Renewables hit 23.4% in Germany

The share of German electricity supplied by renewable energy hit a new high last year driven by windier weather and a surge in solar PV.

Renewable energy output rose to 23.4% of total power generation from 22.8% the previous year, according to The Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW).

Wind’s share of power generation last year was 7.9%, biomass took 6.8%, solar PV 4.5%, hydro 3.4% and municipal solid waste 0.8%.

http://renews.biz/58005/renewables-hit-23-4-in-germany/

[Yo_Mama]

10. And German CO2 emissions increased again

http://www.thegwpf.org/german-co2-emissions-rise-year-row/

Germany is probably one of the reasons why the goals are being set differently.

[MADem]

3. I suppose the next expensive liquid will be water, replacing that

black gold!

Desalinization--it's the Next Big Thing....?

[mettamega]

4. looks like international corporations are over throwing more & more cultures

[on point]

5. Wrong direction. What they need are punitive tariffs against countries

That don't participate like US, China. This is example of race to bottom.

They should institute something like 100% tariffs so it is no longer 'cheaper' for the cheaters to get away with it

[jsr]

6. Frack it baby, frack it

[Gerhard28]

7. Profits trump everything...

...until the source of all profit, mother earth, is rendered inoperative.

[pampango]

8. Sounds like they are proposing to keep the 20% reduction in greenhouse gases but dropping goals

for energy efficiency and renewables.

With such a policy, the European Union is seriously jeopardizing its global climate leadership role. Back in 2007, when Germany held the European Council presidency, the body decided on a climate and energy legislation package known as the "20-20-20" targets, to be fulfilled by the year 2020. They included:

a 20 percent reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions;

raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20 percent;

and a 20 percent improvement in the EU's energy efficiency.

All of the goals were formulated relative to 1990 levels. And the targets could very well be met. But in the future, European climate and energy policy may be limited to just a single project: reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission plans also set no new binding rules for energy efficiency.

[Yo_Mama]

9. It doesn't seem to be ditching them

It seems to be leaving them more open-ended.

But in the future, European climate and energy policy may be limited to just a single project: reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission plans also set no new binding rules for energy efficiency.

That makes sense. The various EU countries have very different natural resources, economies and renewable potentials. If continued reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in a particular country are most achievable with an efficiency drive, or a different mix of energy, then why not do that? Overall you are likely to get more bang for the buck, and that's important to preserve the future possibility of additional investments.

I know that DU thinks fracking is anathema, but I am not entirely certain of that, depending on regulation and oversight, plus the particular geography. I am certain that expanding coal power ain't gonna work, and it seems to me that Germany has wandered off target a bit there.

Conservation and efficiency are by the surest methods of dropping overall greenhouse gas emissions. It is possible to raise your renewables percentage and still raise your CO2 emissions, as Germany has just demonstrated. So I don't see this as a turn away from the central goal.

[elleng]

11. Damn.

[Pterodactyl]

12. Don't they relaize this is a global emergency?