EU policies and regulations in Sustainable Energy
According to the New European Consensus on Development ‘Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future’, “the EU and its Member States will pursue three interlinked key objectives: (i) addressing the lack of energy access; (ii) increasing energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) generation to achieve a sustainable balance between energy production and consumption; and (iii) contributing to the global fight against climate change in line with the Paris Agreement and the related nationally determined contributions (NDCs) presented by the Parties”
EU policies in energy aim to deliver secure, sustainable and affordable energy for citizens and businesses.
Sustainable energy includes any energy source that cannot be depleted and can remain viable forever. Furthermore, sustainable energy doesn’t harm the environment (or at most, there is a minimal risk), increase climate change or cost a heavy price.
Examples of sustainable energy sources include wind, solar and water (hydropower). All of which can be considered inexhaustible and widely available to almost everyone. Geothermal energy can also be included as a sustainable alternative energy source. Geothermal energy creates usable energy from the planet’s internal energy sources.
There is a broad range of benefits to transitioning to sustainable energy:
- improved public health
- created local jobs
- decreased carbon footprint
- more affordable long-term cost
- improved energy security
Energy efficiency is the use of less energy to perform the same task or produce the same result. Energy efficiency is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to combat climate change, reduce energy costs for consumers, and improve the competitiveness of businesses.
Energy efficiency saves money, increases the resilience and reliability of the electric grid, and provides environmental, community, and health benefits.
