Global InformationRenewable energy in the European Union information
| n/a 10–20% | 20–30% 30–40% | 40–50% >50% |
 | This article needs to be updated. (February 2024) |
Renewable energy progress in the European Union (EU) is driven by the European Commission's 2023 revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, which raises the EU's binding renewable energy target for 2030 to at least 42.5%, up from the previous target of 32%.[1] Effective since November 20, 2023, across all EU countries, this directive aligns with broader climate objectives, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Additionally, the Energy 2020 strategy exceeded its goals, with the EU achieving a 22.1% share of renewable energy in 2020, surpassing the 20% target.[1]
The main source of renewable energy in 2019 was biomass (57.4% of gross energy consumption).[2] In particular, wood is the leading source of renewable energy in Europe, far ahead of solar and wind.[3] In 2020, renewables provided 23.1% of gross energy consumption in heating and cooling. In electricity, renewables accounted for 37.5% of gross energy consumption, led by wind (36%) and hydro-power (33%), followed by solar (14%), solid biofuels (8%) and other renewable sources (8%). In transport, the share of renewable energy used reached 10.2%.[4]
In 2022, Sweden led among EU nations, with nearly two-thirds (66.0%) of its gross final energy consumption derived from renewable sources, followed by Finland (47.9%), Latvia (43.3%), Denmark (41.6%), and Estonia (38.5%). Conversely, the EU members reporting the lowest renewable energy proportions included Ireland (13.1%), Malta (13.4%), Belgium (13.8%), and Luxembourg (14.4%), with 17 out of the 27 falling below the EU average of 23.0%.[5]
The renewable energy directive enacted in 2009 lays out a framework for individual member states to share the overall EU-wide 20% renewable energy target for 2020.[6] Promoting the use of renewable energy sources is important both to the reduction of the EU's energy dependence and in meeting targets to combat global warming. The directive sets targets for each individual member state taking into account the different starting points and potentials.[6] Targets for renewable energy use by 2020 among different member states varied from 10% to 49%.[6] 26 EU member states met their national 2020 targets. The sole exception was France, which had aimed for 23% but only reached 19.1%. By 2022, Austria, Ireland, and Slovenia had dropped below their 2020 targets.[7]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
- ^ a b "Renewable energy targets - European Commission". energy.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "Policy Brief: Bioenergy Landscape – Bioenergy Europe Statistical Report 2021". Bioenergy Europe. 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Hurtes, Sarah (15 September 2022). "European Union Signals a Move Away from Wood Energy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ "Renewable energy statistics". ec.europa.eu. January 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ "23% of energy consumed in 2022 came from renewables - Eurostat". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "European Union Renewable Energy Directive, 2009" (PDF). Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
eurostatwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Eurostat Share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, as of January 2023