EU on Track to Meet 2020 Renewable Target

EU countries are on track to meet their 2020 targets for renewable energy and emissions cuts but could fall short of ambitious longer-term goals, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said. “The EU’s 2020 targets on energy and climate are now well within reach,” EEA executive director Hans Bruyninckx said last week, AFP reported. “But certain trends are alarming, in particular for transport. In that sector, renewable energy use remains insufficient and greenhouse gas emissions are rising again,” Bruyninckx added. The bloc’s 2020 target calls for 20% of gross final energy consumption to come from renewable sources, and that number rose to 16.4% in 2015 from 16% in 2014, according to preliminary estimates cited in the report. Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions grew slightly in 2015 but the increase came after “an exceptionally warm winter” the previous year, which led to lower energy demand for heating, the report said. The EU was also well on its way to meeting its target of reducing energy consumption by 13% compared to 2005 levels.