E3G

An E3G response to The European Commission’s Energy Strategy 2011-2020 Consultation

By Jesse Scott

The European Commission is developing an Energy Strategy for 2011-2020.  In response to the consultation, E3G welcomed the Commission’s renewed focus on completing the internal energy market, achieving energy savings and promoting low-carbon innovation.  Our main conclusions and recommendations are:

The period to 2020 will be a crucial foundation stage for developing Europe’s energy system to 2050. The longer-term 2050 perspective must be integral to the shorter term 2011-2020 strategy.

The transition to a low-carbon energy system presents significant economic opportunity, for growth, jobs and new products and markets. Realising these opportunities should be a key objective of the strategy alongside the more narrow evaluation of costs.

Energy is a system, not a single sector. Opportunities for efficiency gains and carbon reduction exist at all stages of energy consumption and use. Realising these opportunities will require a holistic approach utilising a package of measures, rather than a single ‘silver bullet’ solution.

The full consultation response is available to download above.