Clean energy: The EU’s push for renewables and energy efficiency 

Fighting climate change and improving energy security are among the EU's priorities. Find out how MEPs want to boost energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, Economy.

In 2018, the European Parliament approved legislation to help fight climate change, as well as reduce the EU's dependency on fossil fuel imports and help households generate their own green energy.

This legislative package is composed of three laws: one on renewable energy, one on energy efficiency and one on a control mechanism

The laws on renewable energy use and on energy efficiency are currently under revision to help the EU reach new ambitious climate goals set under the European Green Deal in 2021. Boosting the share of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency will also help Europe reduce its dependency on fossil fuel imports that come in large part from Russia.

Increasing the share of renewables

The share of energy consumed from renewable sources has more than doubled in the last years, from about 9.6% in 2004 to 22.1% in 2020. This means that the EU reached its 20% target for 2020.

Under current rules , the share of renewables should be at least 32% by 2030, and this target is being revised up. In July 2022, members of Parliament’s energy committee demanded an increase to 45%.

Learn more about the share of renewable energy in EU countries.

Improving energy efficiency

Energy efficiency improvements could not only reduce CO2 emissions, but also the EU’s annual €330 billion energy import bill. That is why EU lawmakers are working on an update of the 32.5% energy efficiency target for 2030, agreed in 2018. Energy efficiency means using less energy to produce the same result.

The proposed new targets are at least a 40% reduction in final energy consumption and 42.5% in primary energy consumption. Final energy consumption refers to the energy used by final consumers (such as electricity consumption of households), whereas primary energy consumption represents the total energy demand within a country (for example fuel burned to produce electricity).

One important area for improvement is the heating and cooling of buildings, which accounts for 40% of all the energy consumed in the EU. About 75% of them are energy inefficient.

To address this issue, the Parliament adopted new rules on the energy efficiency of buildings in April 2018. According to the rules, EU countries should prepare national long-term strategies to support the renovation of residential and non-residential buildings.   The aim is that by 2050 buildings in the EU hardly use any energy.

In addition, in 2017 Parliament simplified energy labels for home appliances, such as lamps, televisions and vacuum cleaners, to make it easier for consumer to compare their energy efficiency.

Control mechanism

In 2018, MEPs also approved new rules on the so-called governance of the energy union. It is a control mechanism to monitor countries’ progress towards the EU's energy and climate targets for 2030 and a co-operation tool to fill the gap in case a member state falls behind.

MEPs will debate and vote on the updates on renewable energy and energy efficiency in September plenary.

More on climate change and the EU

• Reducing carbon emissions: EU targets and measures
• Climate change in Europe: facts and figures
• Timeline of climate change negotiations 
• Climate change 
• EU responses to climate change
• EU and the Paris agreement: towards climate neutrality
• EU Climate Law: MEPs confirm deal on climate neutrality by 2050
• Infographic: timeline of climate change negotiations
• Climate change: raise global ambitions to achieve strong outcome at COP26
• Europe’s one trillion climate finance plan
• Green deal for Europe: First reactions from MEPs
• Parliament supports European Green Deal and pushes for even higher ambitions
• The European Parliament declares climate emergency
• EU defines green investments to boost sustainable finance
• How to increase green investment in the EU
• Why is EU funding for regions important?
• EU environmental policy to 2030: a systemic change
• Green Deal: key to a climate-neutral and sustainable EU
• What is carbon neutrality and how can it be achieved by 2050?
• Mitigating climate change with the EU's clean energy policy  
• Climate change: Parliament pushes for faster EU action and energy independence
• Reducing carbon emissions: EU targets and measures
• The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and its reform in brief
• Cutting EU greenhouse gas emissions: national targets for 2030
• Climate change: better using EU forests as carbon sinks
• Carbon leakage: prevent firms from avoiding emissions rules
• Reducing car emissions: new CO2 targets for cars and vans explained
• Just Transition Fund: help EU regions adapt to green economy
• Renewable hydrogen: what are the benefits for the EU?
• Social Climate Fund: Parliament’s ideas for a just energy transition
• Climate change in Europe: facts and figures
• Greenhouse gas emissions by country and sector (infographic)
• Infographic: how climate change is affecting Europe
• Emissions from planes and ships: facts and figures (infographic)
• CO2 emissions from cars: facts and figures (infographics)
• EU progress towards 2020 climate change goals (infographic)
• Cutting emissions from planes and ships: EU actions explained
• Sustainable forestry: Parliament’s work to fight deforestation
• Endangered species in Europe: facts and figures (infographic)
• How to preserve biodiversity: EU policy (video)
• Creating a sustainable food system: the EU's strategy

Share this article: