Lue koko kirje [tästä]
Open letter to EU’s Heads of State and Government
Crisis in Ukraine and
energy dependency: investing in renewables for heating and
cooling will bring
security of supply and more competitiveness
EU could save EUR 11.5
billion per year, announces the industry
Brussels, 19 March 2014 -AEBIOM, EGEC and ESTIF representing the biomass, geothermal and solar thermal sectors respectively, address an open letter to the Heads of State and Government, ahead of their spring meeting in Brussels.
The growing uncertainties over the crisis in Ukraine show once again all the
limits of Europe’s energy dependency. According to Eurostat, about one third of
EU’s total crude oil (34.5%) and natural gas (31.5%) imports in 2010 originated
from Russia. The EU energy dependency contributed not only to weaken our geopolitical
influence on the international arena but fuelled the dramatic GDP-leakage with
the EU having spent €545 billion or 4.2% of its GDP on importing fossil fuels
in 2012 alone.
Part of that fuel (in the form of natural gas and heating oil) is used for
heating our houses, our offices or for industrial purposes. These energy
services alone account for half the EU’s energy needs. In these sectors,
however, readily available renewable energy solutions, combined with energy
efficiency measures, are a practical and versatile option to alleviate our
fossil fuels dependency. This option is also much more environmentally
constructive and beneficial than developing shale gas in Europe.
Achieving the
additional renewable energy consumption in heating and cooling foreseen by
Member States between 2011 and 20201could allow the EU to
reduce its import of natural gas from third countries by the equivalent of 35
Mtoe per year from 2020. With current import prices ($11.5/ MMBtu or EUR
8.4/MMBtu)2, this would save the EU as a whole some EUR 11.5 billion
per year.
Over recent years, the lack of awareness and political support to renewables
for heating and cooling has meant only modest market development in the sector.
However, in view of the upcoming discussion of the European Council on EU
climate and energy policies beyond 2020, there is a great opportunity to invert
this trend.
Decarbonising our energy sector should not be regarded as a burden, but rather
as an opportunity for Europe’s industrial renaissance. Clear pledges on
renewables for heating and cooling and energy efficiency will increase EU’s
energy independence, while improving our balance of trade, creating a
substantial amount of new local jobs and ensure stable and affordable energy
prices to our consumers and industries.
20.3.2014