Energy and economic benefits: The economic benefits of RES (Renewable Energy Sources) are potentially very significant through: supporting new industrial development, offering a greater diversity of supply using local resources rather than imports and complementing to the energy saving policies. Further, their speed of construction and size offers other benefits (construction time is reduced often up to one fifth or even one-tenth of the time needed for the construction of conventional energy projects.) RES might also increase tourism, improving its quality in terms of infrastructures and services, and lower pollution levels. RES can help implement the concept of 'sustainable development', one of the key objectives of the European Union.
Social benefits: The use of local resources would aid the regional development with the EU-Mediterranean countries and Third Med Countries. (e.g. through agricultural stimulus). In addition, greater social cohesion can be obtained by using energy sources which have a limited local impact and which support the improvement of local development. The use of renewable energy technologies would also reduce the potential risks to health from conventional energy sources.
Employment benefits: Increased commercialisation of RETs (Renewable Energy Technologies) can lead to significant increases in employment. It is estimated that 400,000 jobs could be created if 15 per cent substitution of primary energy by renewables occurs in the EU. The RE industry currently employs some 110,000 people in the EU, in some mainly small to medium size enterprises, with a labour force more often composed of highly skilled technical employees.
Environmental benefits: RES can address the climate change issue by helping stabilise carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases. Furthermore RES, in displacing conventional fossil fuelled plants, can lead to the reduction of emissions of other pollutants, for example sulphur and nitrogen oxides which contribute to acid rain.
Trade and competitiveness: RETs rely on local and national resources, therefore reducing the need for imports and the exposure to international-geopolitical instability, and thus contributing to security of energy supply. Worldwide markets for renewable energy technologies are rapidly emerging and expanding with an estimated direct turnover of 40 billion ECU each year. 16 billion ECU of this will come from the European Union. A significant proportion of this sum is in the Mediterranean region. The development of an indigenous RET industry is also important from the context of the Third Med Countries, creating benefits for their economies and for employment.
Industrial co-operation: RETs are often indicated as the most 'appropriate' way to meet energy requirements in countries such as the TMCs (Third Mediterranean Countries, i.e. non-EU). They operate with a local dimension, using local resources and often engaging local companies. Significant opportunities are available for increasing industrial co-operation between EU and TMC industries.
(Source: Background document for the conference on renewable energies for the Mediterranean area, Athens, 9-11 November 1995)
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