- EU’s Climate Package is a Milestone

EU will increase its share of renewable energy to 20 % by 2020. The proposal from the Commission makes concrete demands to each member state.

- This package is a milestone. EU takes decisive steps to promote the low-emissions society.   Time has come for realizing the goals from the EU summit last spring. This is a good starting point for continued cooperation with EU in the field of climate, Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim says.

The proposals from the EU Commission involve the following:

• Increased use of renewable energy in the EU countries within three sectors: electricity, heating and cooling, as well as transportation.
• Proposal for stricter environmental criteria for the production of biofuels.
• More sectors are included in the EU Emission trading scheme (ETS). Assignment of allowances free of charge will gradually fade out, so that the polluter pays/ those responsible for the emissions also have to pay the environment bill. Aviation will be included in the ETS.
• The power plants that use fossil fuel must in the future apply capture and storage of CO2 (CCS). The goal is that CCS is commercially available in 2020.

One central element in the directive is the sharing of burdens between the EU countries. What this means for Norway depends on what happens with the directive in EU towards the final decision.