Climate Policy Updates - June 2022
The EC has made available relevant datasets for the Member States to map suitable land and sea areas for renewable energy projects, while ENVI has cast important votes on limiting subsidies when it comes to burning forest biomass and crop-based fuels.
RePowerEU: New Mapping Tool Supports the Identification of Go-To Areas for Renewables
In line with the REPowerEU communication and the revised EU rules on renewable energy published in May 2022, EU Member States are required to map suitable land and sea areas for renewable energy projects. This means designating 'renewables go-to' areas and avoiding environmentally valuable areas.
The Commission has made available relevant datasets in the Energy and Industry Geography Lab online platform to support the Member States in identifying these go-to areas. The platform was developed by the Joint Research Centre and launched in December 2021.
EU Parliament on Track to End Burning of Crops and Forests
On 16 May, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI) voted on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), including an important positive step limiting subsidies to burn forest biomass and crop-based biofuels. Environmental NGOs have been fighting for these goals for a long time to stop destroying forests in the name of renewable energy and to achieve that crop-based biofuels stop competing with food production for land.
- Forests biomass: with a 45 to 36 majority the committee voted in favour of amendment CA9, recommending that primary woody biomass should no longer be subsidised and should largely be excluded from counting towards renewable energy targets. This is something we have been fighting for a long time together with many other environmental NGOs so that forests are no longer wrecked in the name of renewable energy.
- Crop-based biofuels: the ENVI Committee also voted in favour of amendment CA7, which limits crop-based biofuels to no more than half the share of the overall biofuel use in transport. It also specifies biofuels from palm oil and soy to be phased out by 2023. This has been another key NGO demand for years as crop-based biofuels compete with food production over land, fuel agricultural sprawl at the expanse of natural habitats, and promote destructive industrial agricultural practices.
This is a major outcome, but only a first step in the political process of reviewing the RED. In June, the EU Parliament’s Energy Committee (ITRE) will also propose their own amendments to the RED. Finally, ENVI & ITRE amendments will have to be approved by the Parliament's plenary after the summer break. There is a real danger that the positive work of the ENVI committee could be reversed; therefore, we will continue to bring awareness to these bioenergy issues all along the process.
In parallel, the European Council is also considering amendments to the RED. The final outcome of the trialogue process, where Parliament and Council need to agree on a final compromise, is expected late in the year at the earliest.
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