More renewables boost Europe's competitiveness
One year on from the publication of the Draghi report delineating a vision for Europe’s competitiveness, the transformation of the bloc’s energy systems remains a top priority for the EU Clean Industrial Deal.
A series of policies are facilitating the transformation, focusing on making energy affordable, expanding grid infrastructure, cutting permitting times and enabling clean technologies. But more needs to be done for Europe to deliver real change. Renewables remain crucial for the success of the continent’s energy transformation, as they bring down costs and enable energy security and resilience.
At COP30 in Belém, during the session on Tracking Progress Towards a Genuine European Energy Union, high level representatives and experts explored the link between Europe’s ability to compete and its climate goals. Renewable energy can help to respond to issues of affordability, autonomy, and circularity, while offering opportunities for different categories of actors to become involved in shaping local transitions. Stakeholder engagement and social acceptance of renewable energy by local communities were highlighted by the panel as critical elements of project implementation.
In order to fully leverage the advantages of decarbonisation, the value created by it must be clear; this is why the Fast and Fair principles are instrumental to help design a shift to renewables that is rooted in timely engagement, community benefit and nature-positive action. The Fast and Fair best practice examples illustrate how renewables deployment can integrate different perspectives to make the transition process more equitable for all.
The panel reaffirmed that the time is ripe for diverse energy stakeholders to capitalise on the competitive momentum of Europe’s climate ambitions, and ensure that in the future, renewable energy is easily accessible, abundant, and inclusive.
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