GREENPEACE REVEALS LEAKED EU BLUEPRINT ON RENEWABLE ENERGY -BIG BOOST TO KYOTO CLIMATE SUMMIT
With less than two weeks to go before the UN Climate Summit at Kyoto, Greenpeace has obtained a leaked copy of the Commission's Renewable Energy White Paper which categorically states that a significant switch to renewables and cuts in greenhouse gases are totally feasible. The White Paper - which outlines a specific EU Renewable Energy Action Plan -is set to be formally adopted by the Commission next Wednesday.
If the proposals are implemented, renewable energy in the EU will be able to deliver around a third of the total CO2 emissions reductions necessary to meet the EU's formal negotiation target at the UN Climate Summit in Kyoto - which is a 15% reduction in CO2 and other greenhouse gases reduction by 2010. The document also states that the shift to renewables would create up to 1.2 million new jobs within the EU and generate a multi-billion dollar export industry.
The White Paper proposes to double the use of renewable energies within the EU to 12% of gross inland energy consumption by 2010. The paper states that this would reduce CO2 emissions by 400 million tonnes per year. It would create between 850,000 and 1.25 million new jobs and result in an additional 17 Billion ECU (US $19 billion) annual export business for the EU by 2010.
The paper also calls for a half million solar roofs programme in Europe by 2010 and for a half million solar homes system for the developing world.
"This Commission blueprint gives total credibility to the EU's negotiating position in Kyoto" Greenpeace EU Spokeperson Aphrodite Mourelatou commented "It proves that the EU has the practical capacity to cut greenhouse gases by switching to solar and to other renewable technologies and shows precisely how it can be done.
"The paper gives the green light for the EU to hold firm on its Kyoto target proposals and puts Europe in a win-win position on both the environment and the economy. The paper tackles human-induced climate change and at the same time create jobs and boost the Union's economy" Mourelatou continued.
"We now know that it is perfectly feasible to sunset dirty fossil fuel industries and back the sunrise clean energy technologies for the next millennium" added Greenpeace International Solar campaigner Corin Millais "This blueprint for renewables gives European leaders and the EU the potency to take tough action at Kyoto" he added. "They have a blueprint to put us on course for the global solar economy. And Kyoto is where this can become real".
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Aphrodite Mourelatou (Greenpeace European Unit) Tel+32 2 280 1400
Corin Millais (Greenpeace International Climate Campaign) Tel +44 171 865 8245
1. The UN Climate Summit in Kyoto, Japan meets to agree mandatory reduction targets for CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions between December 1 - 10. The EU negotiating position for Kyoto is a mandatory 15% reduction for CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions by 2010 over 1990 levels and for a reduction of at least 7.5% by 2005. back to text
2. The White Paper states that the 12% target will require an extra total net investment of 5.7 billion ECU (US$ 6.3 billion) per year which is less that half of the 12.5 billion ECU (US$13.8 billion) that the EU currently gives away to the fossil fuels and nuclear power industries from the public purse. Only a fraction of this 5.7 billion ECU is to be provided by public funds. For example the Commission has calculated that public funds of only 300 million ECU (US$ 330 million) a year would be needed to implement the "Campaign for take off" This is designed to "assist a real take off of renewables and large scale penetration and make progress towards the [12%] objective". In itself, this Campaign would achieve 10% of the 400 million tonnes of CO2 attributed to renewable energies. back to text
3. The White Paper's Million Solar Home Programme proposal follows the announcement in June this year that the US will install a million solar roofs by 2010 and seeks to match the Japanese solar programme. It represents one third of the EU target of 3,000 MW of solar photovoltaics installed by 2010.
This 3000 MW total represents a hundred fold increase in the amount of solar installed throughout Europe in 1995. On top of the million homes worldwide, the remainder will be deployed on homes, buildings and solar power stations sized up to 5MW. The solar photovoltaic programme alone would create 50,000 jobs. back to text
4 . Earlier this year, Grenpeace demanded a switch from EU fossil fuel subsidies to clean renewable energy and efficiency programmes. In May of this year, Greenpeace called upon the Commission to instigate a European Million Solar Roofs programme.