European Union countries have reached an interim agreement on higher renewable energy targets, a key pillar of the bloc's plans to combat climate change and end dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

The negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council agreed on Thursday, 30, that by 2030, the 27 countries of the European Union will commit to obtaining 42.5% of their energy from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, with a potential of up to 45%. The European Union's current target for 2030 is 32% renewable energy.

The bloc got 22 percent of its energy from renewable sources in 2021, but the level varied significantly between countries. Sweden leads the bloc with its 63 percent share in renewable energy, while in Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and Ireland, renewables account for less than 13 percent of total energy use.

A rapid shift to renewable energy is crucial if the European Union is to meet its climate change goals, including a legally binding target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels.

Countries will have to increase to 29% the share of renewable energy in the transport sector. In addition, European Union industry will increase the use of renewable energy by 1.6% per year, with 42% of the hydrogen it uses coming from renewable sources by 2030 and 60% by 2035.

The directive added targets for buildings and sought accelerated licensing processes for renewable energy projects. Renewable energy targets have gained importance since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as the European Union has pledged to end its dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027 – and plans to do so primarily through locally produced low-carbon energy.

Achieving the new targets will require massive investments in wind and solar farms, bolstering Europe's power grids to integrate more clean energy.

The European Commission has said, as reported by Reuters, that additional investments of 113 billion euros in renewable energy and hydrogen infrastructure will be needed by 2030 if countries are to end their dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

The deal must be approved by the European Union Parliament and the bloc's countries to become law, which is usually just a formality.

Source: RPA news