Excerpt from ec.europa.eu
The production and use of energy account for more than 75% of EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. Decarbonising the energy system is therefore critical to reach the EU’s long-term aim to become climate-neutral by 2050.
Energy coming from renewable sources is essential for “cleaning” the EU’s energy system. At the same time, an increased share of renewables in the energy mix will also benefit citizens by creating new job opportunities across various sectors, steering dialogues between communities and presenting opportunities for more equal and inclusive standards in the energy sector.
A growing market
The EU’s renewable target for 2020 was to reach the share of renewable energy of at least 20% in the overall EU energy mix. In 2018, the new target for 2030 was set at 32%. With the European Green Deal, the Commission aimed even higher and suggested in July 2021 to increase the renewables target for all EU countries to 40%. This proposal is currently being worked on by the European Parliament and the Council.
Currently, most of the jobs in the EU energy sector are linked to conventional energy technologies such as oil, gas, coal and nuclear. But clean energy technologies are becoming a dynamic area for investment and employment, leading to new jobs also in related sectors, such as construction and manufacturing.