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Potential growth in renewable energy relative to 2005
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Contribution of renewable energy sources to primary energy consumption in the EU-27
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Contribution of renewable energy sources to primary energy consumption in the EU-27
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Climate change — time to act
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Climate change is a real and current threat. To avoid major irreversible impacts on society and ecosystems, we must act now.
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The electric car comes of age
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The electric car is on the verge of breaking through, offering a realistic choice for innovative and clean mobility.
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Annual average growth rates in renewable energy consumption (%), EU-27
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The figure shows the annual average growth rates in renewable energy consumption (%), EU-27
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National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) data from Member States
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A compiled dataset on renewable energy trajectories extracted from the submissions of the Member States to the European Commission, and an accompanying document which summarises the main points of the data.
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Share of Renewable Energy to Final Energy Consumption with normalised for hydro, EU27
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Share of Renewable Energy to Final Energy Consumption with normalised for hydro, EU27. In 2009 the European Commission adopted a new directive on renewable energy (2009/28/EC). The new Directive on renewable energy sets an ambitious target for the EU-27 of 20% share of energy from renewable sources in final energy consumption by 2020 and a 10% share of renewable energy in the transport sector (in each Member State).
In 2008, five countries have reached 75% of their targets for 2020: Sweden is the closest with 89% of the target in 2008 (share of 43.6% compared to a target of 49%), followed by Romania (85%), Austria (82%), Estonia (76%) and Latvia (75%)
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Europe leads the fight against climate change
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The Earth is rapidly getting warmer, threatening serious and even catastrophic disruption to our societies and to the natural environment on which we depend. Over the course of the 20th century the average temperature increased by around 0.6 C globally, by almost 1 C in Europe and by no less than 5 C in the Arctic. This man-made warming is already having many disruptive effects around the globe.
Sea levels are rising as a result of melting glaciers and ice sheets, threatening to flood low-lying communities. Extreme weather conditions; floods, droughts, storms are becoming more severe, more frequent and more costly in some parts of the world. And many endangered species may be pushed to extinction over the coming decades as climate change affects their traditional habitats.
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Water and hydroelectric power
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Although hydroelectric power stations create power from a reusable resource, there are some concerns about their impact on water. They alter the flow and temperature regimes that destroy fish spawning areas, handicap fish migration, kill fish in turbines and dry out wetlands. They can also capture sediment and nutrients behind dams, which can reduce the fertility of the waters downstream and may also increase erosion of river banks. For instance dams have reduced the sediment carried into Lake Geneva by some 50 %.
Climate change could also make many hydroelectric power plants less reliable in future as water availability changes. While some plants in northern Europe could generate more power, hydroelectric dams in Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine could reduce output by 20-50 % because of declining rainfall.
Source: State of the Environment Report No 1/2005 "The European environment - State and outlook 2005" (published 29 Nov 2005)
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Power to the people: Environmental Atlas of Europe — Denmark
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Thisted in north west Jutland is the most climate-friendly municipality in Denmark. Since the early 1980s, they've been using a creative mix of sustainable energy sources to provide heating and power for their 46,000 residents. In recognition of their contribution to renewable energy they were awarded the European Solar Prize in 2007.
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The Environmental Atlas
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Power to the people
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