Environmental Engineering Reference
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one fifth higher than in the new policies scenario. This is basically due to the fact
that RES investments in the 450 scenario aim to develop even less mature RES
technologies, as geothermal and marine energy. The remaining 30 % investments in
the power sector ($ 5.9 trillion over 2014-2035) refer to transmission and distribu-
tion infrastructures.
5.3
RES Scenario in the EU 2030 Framework
The novelty of the EU energy and environmental policies is constituted by the 2030
framework for climate and energy policies (COM (
2014
)0015) presented by the
European Commission in January 2014. The text of the new EU strategy is based
on reducing emissions, RES implementation, and increasing energy efficiency. The
most important and controversial issue of the 2030 framework is represented by the
new EU target for the RES share in gross energy consumption in 2030. The Europe-
an Commission proposes an RES target of 27 % in gross energy consumption which
is binding only at EU level but not for individual EU member countries; it differs
from the previous 2020 climate and energy package with binding RES target for
each EU member countries. The new RES objective is a goal “to reach all together.”
The quantitative value of this objective is determined by the weight of the RES that
is expected as a natural development to achieve the objective − 40 % for GHG. As
we will clarify further, the nonbinding RES share per EU country is a controversial
issue since it requires much more need for cooperation among member states.
Furthermore, the communication
2014
(0015) proposes a mandatory reduction
of GHG emissions by 40 % compared to the emission levels in 1990. The target is
divided between − 43 % (compared to 2005 emissions) reduction at the European
level to be distributed among economic sectors included in the EU emission trad-
ing system (EU ETS) and − 30 % (compared to 2005 emissions) reduction at the
European level to be distributed among the member states for the economic sectors
not covered by the EU ETS, on the basis of indicators to take into account the dis-
tribution among countries and the sustainability of needed investments. The Com-
mission also proposes that the ETS system is reformed, implementing a reserve for
market stability operational in 2021, i.e., since the beginning of the next trading
period. The mechanism of the reserve falls within the dynamics of supply and man-
agement systems and it should increase the responsiveness of the ETS to systemic
shocks on the demand side or the supply side.
The role of energy efficiency in the context in 2030 is not identified by the Euro-
pean Commission in any specific target in terms of increasing energy efficiency by
2030; it will be further considered with a review of the energy efficiency directive
ready by the end of 2014.
The text of the new EU strategy on reducing emissions, RES production and
energy efficiency improvement are replacing the 2020 climate energy package
which should have ended in 2020. Indeed, recent data demonstrate that the path of
energy and environment that the EU has set itself for 2020 with the 2020 climate and
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