Meeting Renewable Energy Targets Post-COVID

As economic activity slowed down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union (EU) moved closer to achieving its renewable energy objectives. In a report for the European Commission, published alongside the Commission’s State of the Energy Union report, Guidehouse reviewed the EU member states' reports on their Renewable Energy Directive targets and the state of their renewable energy sources progress. 

Addressing the countries' progress in an article for Euractiv, Guidehouse experts review the factors that contributed to the results, including renewable energy sources production increases, the use of the statistical transfers mechanism, as well as COVID-related changes in energy consumption. However, despite the progress, more changes are needed to expand renewable energy capacity and generation to meet further goals.

Dr. Corinna Klessmann, director; Agustin Roth, senior consultant; and John Niedergesäss, consultant, say: "The Member States and the EU as a whole will need to take additional action across all energy sectors and push ahead rapidly with the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency policies to achieve an efficient and fair energy transition."