“Europe’s big plan for energy independence is a timid attempt at rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. The bloc’s reliance on dirty fossil fuels is at the root of its energy problem, yet the Commission’s plan does little to tackle it. In fact, pointing to false solutions like fracking and new gas pipelines will only lock us into fossil fuel dependence for decades to come.
“This is like a surreal AA meeting where addicts are handed out phone numbers of new dealers instead of being helped out of their addiction.
“Ed Davey claimed the UK government wants to lead Europe’s efforts to increase energy security from the front. If so, they should be pressing for ambitious targets on energy efficiency and homegrown clean energy – that’s where the real potential to cut our dependence on dirty fuel imports and boost our energy security lies.”
ENDS
Useful links
The Commission's energy plan can be found here:
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/doc/20140528_energy_security_communication.pdf
Energydesk analysis of the potential impact of the Ukraine crisis on Europe’s gas supplies:
New Energydesk piece on Gazprom’s official figures showing which EU countries are the largest buyers of gas from the Russian energy giant, with the UK ranking as the fourth largest:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/newsdesk/energy/data/gazproms-gas-exports-europe-three-graphs
Key facts
- In 2012, the EU spent €421 billion buying over half of its energy (53 per cent) from abroad (European Commission, 22 January 2014: Energy-economic developments in Europe)
- The European Commission’s own analysis shows ambitious 2030 targets, such as a 35% renewables share and robust energy efficiency measures, would cut net energy imports by 22 per cent by 2030, and gas imports by 28 per cent by 2030, compared to 2010
- Independent expert analysis shows Europe can cut its energy demand by over 40 per cent by 2030 compared to business-as-usual by adopting robust energy efficiency targets (Fraunhofer ISI, 4 October 2013: Analysis of a European Reference Target System for 2030)
Contact: Stefano Gelmini, Greenpeace UK press officer, m 07506 512442,tefano.gelmini@greenpeace.org
