Keep the Renewable Energy Directive for renewables – “low-carbon” fuels should not be included in any provision of the Renewable Energy Directive

Executive Vice-President Timmermans
Commissioner Simson
Director-General Juul-Jorgensen

Dear Executive Vice-President,
Dear Commissioner,
Dear Director-General,

Climate change is the defining challenge of this century. And renewable energy is one of the main pillars of European climate action, resulting in more than one-third of emission reductions to date. All scenarios for the EU achieving its targets under the Paris climate agreement rely on the rapid scaling up of renewable energy.

Beyond emission reductions, investment in renewables brings many benefits: better European energy security, lower fossil fuel import bills, local job creation and economic development, and the possibility of millions of Europeans to actively participate in and benefit directly from the energy transition.

The main policy tool for promoting renewable energy is the Renewable Energy Directive. It has proven successful in driving down the price of renewable energy technologies and boosting investments in renewables across Europe. However, the Directive is under serious threat of being used to promote the very fossil fuels that renewables should be displacing in Europe’s energy system.

Fossil fuels, including so-called ‘low carbon’ fossil fuels, should not be included in any provision under the Renewable Energy Directive, including Guarantees of Origin, nor should they count towards the EU’s binding 2030 renewable energy target.

Any inclusion of fossil fuels risks significantly undermining confidence in the EU’s renewable energy industries, which make a GVA contribution of €250 billion to the economy whilst employing millions of workers in good quality and sustainable jobs. Furthermore, it would generate significant public confusion and possible negative reactions some of the fastest growing sectors in the economy.

We thank you for taking the views expressed in this letter into consideration. We would welcome a meeting to discuss these issues with you in more detail.

Yours sincerely

Members of the European Parliament

Greens/EFA

Alviina Alametsä

Francois Alfonsi

Rasmus Andresen

Margrete Auken

Benoit Biteau

Michael Bloss

Damian Boeselager

Saskia Bricmont

Reinhard Bütikofer

Damien Careme

David Cormand

Anna Cavazzini

Ignazio Corrao

Ciarán Cuffe

Rosa D’Amato

Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield

Karima Delli 

Bas Eickhout

Eleonora Evi

Daniel Freund

Alexandra Geese

Claude Gruffat

Francisco Guerreiro

Henrike Hahn

Heidi Hautala

Martin Häusling

Yannick Jadot

Philippe Lamberts

Sara Matthieu

Tilly Metz

Niklas Nienass

Ville Niinistö

Grace O’Sullivan

Jutta Paulus

Piernicola Pedicini

Terry Reintke

Diana Riba

Manuela Ripa

Michele Rivasi

Caroline Roose

Mounir Satouri

Jordi Solé

Marie Toussaint

Ernest Urtasun 

Viola von Cramon-Taubadel

Thomas Waitz

Salima Yenbou

Associations, companies and civil society

European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC)

European Renewable Energy Federation (EREF)

European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA)

Bioenergy Europe

Solar Heat Europe

Ocean Energy Europe

Solar Power Europe (tbc)

Association of European Energy Research Centres (EUREC) (tbc)

Wind Europe (tbc)

Climate Action Network, Europe (tbc)

Global Witness (tbc)