A large group of 100 organizations from the main industrial and civil society sectors this week called on the European Commission to accelerate the adoption of clean and renewable electricity as a more profitable and energy efficient strategy to achieve climate neutrality in Europe . PREPA joins this initiative and attended this week in Brussels the launch of the Declaration of the Alliance for Electrification in Europe.
According to the calculations of the signatories of the Alliance for Electrification, a faster rate of decarbonization will save 5,000 million euros a week in fuel imports, reduce energy consumption between 4 and 8 times and redirect the associated health risks For the quality of the air. In order to achieve these objectives, the signatories of the declaration consider investment in smart grids and renewables necessary and ask European regulators to focus their policies on this line.
The European Commission’s long-term decarbonization strategy “A clean planet for all” showed that renewable and decarbonised electricity must increase significantly, replacing fossil fuels in Europe’s energy mix, as a precondition for meeting our climate goals and energetic
The Declaration calls on EU policy makers to reach a meaningful green agreement and accelerate the electrification of Europe through:
• Incorporate clean and direct electrification into the heating, cooling and transportation sectors (including heat pumps and electric vehicles), as the most cost-effective and energy-efficient strategy to address climate change
• Support a robust industrial strategy towards climate neutrality to ensure Europe’s leadership in electricity solutions based on renewable, decarbonised and digital energy, including electrolysers
• Ensure that investments in energy networks, especially smart electricity networks, support the transition to a climate-neutral economy
• Modernize the energy tax regime to accelerate the shift towards decarbonization of electricity consumption and increase the absorption of clean electricity in the end-use sectors
• Ensure sufficient funding in the EU budget to support regions and member states with a different starting point, including a significant Fair Energy Transition Fund
• Direct research and innovation funds to accelerate a profitable transition in hard-to-reduce sectors (for example, cement, maritime transport, aviation), especially through an increase in Horizon Europe’s budget to 120 billion euros
Following the publication of the Declaration, Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and co-architect of the Paris Agreement, said that “the Electrification Alliance is sending a clear signal to decision makers in the European Union that they should trust in committing to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Electrification must be the dominant path in the transition of clean energy, and European companies are prepared to pave the way. This, in the hands of the European Green Agreement, is a unique opportunity to forge the EU leadership in climate action and decarbonization on the global stage. “
“Electrification is the most important solution to realize the vision of a fossil-free Europe. We are determined to comply, but we must take into account the different starting points and ensure sufficient funding to ensure a fair transition, ”said Magnus Hall, president of Eurelectric.
WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said: “Zero net carbon emissions by 2050 are technically and economically feasible. But only if we get renewable energy to supply most of our energy demand. They are a third of electricity today. But electricity is only 24% of our energy. We need to increase that. In particular, we need to bring more electricity to industrial processes, buildings and transportation. They are still largely fueled by fossil fuels. Electrifying these parts of our economies would reduce CO2 emissions and save money, because electric vehicles and heating are more energy efficient than fossil fuels. ”
