EU lawmakers approve raising share of renewable energy to 42.5% by 2030

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU lawmakers approved on Tuesday a new EU legislation that raises the share of renewables to 42.5% in the bloc’s energy mix by 2030.

The European Parliament said in a statement that EU lawmakers approved an amendment to the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive that “raises the share of renewables in the EU’s final energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030” with the target to achieve 45%.

Under the new law, national authorities will have to speed up authorization procedures and “grant permits for new renewable energy power plants, such as solar panels or wind turbines, or to adapt existing ones” within 12 or 24 months depending on the location of the installments.

The legislation also seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14.5% until 2030 in the transport sector by supporting the use of biofuels and fuels of non-biological origin, such as hydrogen.

EU member states have yet to formally green light the law, but it will only be a formality after negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union reached a deal in March.

The legislation is part of the European Commission’s Green Deal program, aiming to achieve climate neutrality and zero carbon emission in the EU by 2050.