Posted on October, 02 2003

Brussels, Belgium - The 15 European Union member states are unlikely to hit their target — set under the Kyoto Protocol — of generating 22 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010 according to WWF. WWF fears the EU will achieve no more than 17 percent by the target date. WWF reveals its concerns about the lack of effective policies for renewable power (wind, solar, and biomass) in the month that member states must report to the European Commission on progress in achieving renewable energy targets. The main culprits for this embarrassing failure are likely to be Italy, UK, Greece, and France. Germany and Spain, leaders on speedy renewable energy implementation in recent years, are close to meeting their targets. The Renewables Directive, adopted in October 2001, is the first Directive from the EU to reduce greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol. A report by WWF, released today, evaluates the progress made by Member States in implementing this important Directive. The report shows that although EU Member States have adopted national targets for renewable power, not enough measures have been taken to overcome the main barriers to the entry of renewable electricity into the market. WWF finds that a system known as ‘feed-in tariffs’, which guarantees prices for producers of renewable energy, is the most successful way of allowing renewable electricity to compete with often-subsidised fossil and nuclear power. It has been adopted by Germany and Spain and is now being taken up by some other EU governments. WWF believes that the EU’s 22 per cent target could still be met if the following actions were taken by national governments: •‘feed-in’ systems established with tariffs high enough to ensure renewables can compete with fossil and nuclear power and based on 10-15 year contracts •priority access to the grid for renewable power •less bureaucracy for small producers of renewable electricity •internationally harmonized guidelines to ensure that planning authorities do not unnecessarily block the siting of renewable energy projects •all electricity producers, and not just those producing renewable electricity, should have to guarantee the origin of their energy. WWF believes that governments must learn from past mistakes. Targets for renewable energy must be legally binding. They are currently classified as 'indicative', which is too often interpreted as 'voluntary'. Therefore, WWF urges the EU to immediately start developing a coordinated and legally binding framework for the implementation of a renewable energy target of 25 per cent for all types of energy (electricity, heating and transport) for the enlarged EU by 2020. That will give the right signals to the power sector to turn from ‘coal to clean’ to protect the climate and help investor security beyond 2010. "Renewable energy is good for everyone — for climate protection, jobs, clean air, and for independence from oil. It is hard to understand why governments keep on being fooled by the coal and nuclear industries," said Stephan Singer of WWF. Scenarios for the uptake of renewably generated electricity For more information: Thomas Cross WWF Green Electricity Policy Officer Tel: +32 02 743 88 18 E-mail: tcross@wwfepo.org Giulio Volpi WWF Climate Policy Officer Tel:+ 32 2 743 8800 E-mail: gvolpi@wwfepo.org