Solar Economy

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Vision europe needs a common energy market Meeting the 2020 EU energy targets requires detailed roadmaps and an increasingly stronger commitment from the Member States to improve energy efficiency, notes Fabrizio Barbaso. Jarno Forssell EU F Both wind and solar photovoltaics appear ready to deliver at large scale. abrizio Barbaso has a vision: Europeans living in cleaner cities with less air pollution, lower noise level and better public transport by 2050. People living and working in low-energy and lowemission buildings, with intelligent heating and cooling systems. Barbaso believes that the transition to a competitive and low-carbon energy society is possible. “It is not just about doing the right thing for the future of our planet. Europe stands to benefit enormously from investing in new low-carbon technologies for future jobs and growth, because they provide new opportunities and enhance our energy security.” The EU report published this year, Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050, sets the targets for mid-century. Energy policy is the main tool in achieving the targets, because 80% of Europe’s emissions come from energy generation, conversion, transmission and consumption. Some approaches to achieving ambitious goals without disrupting energy supplies and competitiveness are presented in the Commission communication Energy Roadmap 2050 of 15 December 2011. rEaChiNG ThE TarGET iS PoSSiBlE Europe’s energy challenge is related to rising and volatile energy prices and the fact that we are increasingly dependent on energy imports. In 2009, almost 84% of the oil and 64% of the natural gas we used was imported from outside Europe. In Fabrizio Barbaso’s opinion, the situation jeopardises Europe’s security and competitiveness. Europe must secure affordable supplies of energy sources through implementing the comprehensive strategy for the EU’s external relations in energy, largely decarbonise the energy and the transport sectors, and bring new, low-carbon and high-performance energy technologies to the market. In addition to dependence on import is the challenge of climate change. The EU has committed to increasing the share of renewable energy to 20%, to increasing energy efficiency by 20% and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020. Barbaso says that progress in the first goal has been faster than expected. He emphasises the importance of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive. “If all the action plans called for in the Directive are compiled and implemented, the EU will not only reach the renewable energy targets, it will exceed them.” 14 Fortum forAgendA

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