By Rubina Obaid
While working to save our endangered planet Europe ventured for a green deal, announced by European Commission to counter increasingly harmful trends. The commission proposed European Green Deal in order to pursue climate neutrality by 2050. The deal outlines the framework of policies to prioritize restoration of nature and meeting successful transition towards renewable energy sources. The measure include reaching tougher emission targets, revising farming subsidies and increasing support for bio diversity and the success of the program will be called as Europe’s “man on the moon” moment. A transition fund of up to 100 trillion euro will help companies to become global leaders in clean products which would improve the ecological condition in the EU territory. The commission further says that our aim is to completely transform European Union to a fair and prosperous society with a modern resource efficient and competitive economy.
The transition should be just and ensure safety for humans, animals and trees while cutting pollution. The role of pellet producers is going to influence the future greatly and the insight of their role is going to be discovered. The green deal is answers to many concerns regarding climate change and aligning the policies according to United Nations 2030 agenda. The deal proclaims to be a complete decarbonized future and no net green house gas emission by 2050 along with improved economical growth. The agenda of EGD revolves around a smart shift towards zero pollution that includes supporting cost efficient, clean and sustainable renewable energy sources to also improve the quality of life. For successful implementation of the policies Commission has introduced a Just Transition Fund to minimize structural changes and befitting fossil fuels and carbon intensive processes regions that provide convenience in transforming the houses towards energy efficient and achieving minimized carbonization targets.
European Commission considers private sector as the key financiers towards successful green transition. Large renewable energy cooperation would explore great opportunity due to grant and subsidies offered that will lure the capital investors. It was acknowledged by the Commission Knowledge Center that biomass is one of the main renewable energy sources in the E.U. Renewable energies contribute 17% of the Europe’s gross energy consumption according to the statistics of 2016. Bio energy contributed to 59.2% thereof that is comprised of 12% transport fuel, 13,4% bio electricity and 74.6% biomass. Whereas, biomass supply for primary energy reached 140 MTOE in 2016 and grew to 178 MTOE by 2020 with a slower growth than expected.
According to the statistics report of bio energy 2016, only 5.6% of EU’s gross electricity generation is accounted to bioelectricity. The market share of renewable bio fuels for transportation is around 5% and biomass for heating and cooling reached to 23% while residential heating is accounted as 50% of final bio heat consumption which gave boom to wood pellet consumption that reached 27 million tons in Europe by the year 2018. The commission will conclude its climate plans by June for a smart and integrated energy sector along with determining many other energy regulations.
Reference links:
- https://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/16881/biomassundefined-role-in-europeundefineds-green-deal
- https://www.birdlife.org/europe-and-central-asia/news/press-release-decisive-decade-nature-restoration-offers-europes-policy
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/europe-climate-change-new-green-deal/
- https://www.birdlife.org/europe-and-central-asia/news/press-release-decisive-decade-nature-restoration-offers-europes-policy
