Boosting renewable energy sustainably

Juan Carlos Atienza A strategic approach for renewable energy development is needed. Zoom In

Under the Spanish Presidency, Europe will be taking key steps in boosting the use of renewable energy. Member States will be preparing their National Action Plans, setting out how they will meet their targets under the Renewable Energy Directive. These must be submitted to the Commission by 30 June 2010. While renewable energy is essential to safeguard wildlife and ourselves from the impacts of climate change, inappropriately designed or sited renewable energy projects can also seriously damage biodiversity.

Such damage is not inevitable: maximising energy efficiency and a strategic approach to identifying appropriate sites for renewable energy developments, including robust use of Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) mean that damage to the environment can be avoided or at least minimised. It is also essential to ensure that biomass use for heat and power and biofuel use to meet transport targets do not have wider environmental impacts. During the Spanish Presidency, the Commission is expected to propose important legislation expanding sustainability criteria from just biofuels to all forms of bioenergy. In addition the Commission will propose a method of plugging a key gap in the biofuels sustainability criteria, which currently ignore the effects of indirect land use change (ILUC).

Under the Spanish Presidency:

• The Spanish Presidency, all Member States and the European Parliament should urge the Commission to propose and adopt a strong and sound set of sustainability standards for all bioenergy applications.
• The Spanish Presidency and Member States should work with the Commission and the European Parliament to adopt legislation incorporating ILUC-related emissions in the greenhouse gas calculation underpinning bioenergy safeguards.
• Member States should ensure that National Action Plans, drafted under the Renewable Energy Directive, provide for the development of renewable resources that are truly sustainable, respecting the natural values of the Natura 2000 network.