A report by the European Renewable Energy Council explains how the European Union could switch to a 100% renewable energy supply for electricity, heating and cooling and transport by 2050.

The report, Re-thinking 2050, launched earlier this week in the European Parliament examines how the EU’s carbon emissions could be cut by more than 90% by switching to 100% renewables, and provides a roadmap for achieving this with the different available technologies. The report concludes that the economic and social costs of achieving the switch significantly outweigh the investment involved.

Renewable electricity, particularly from wind and PV is expected to be the highest contributor to achieving the target, with an increase from 10% renewables in 2020 to 41% by 2050 predicted by EREC.

Heating and cooling will continue to be the biggest sector in terms of final energy demand, but use of renewables in this sector could increase from 21% in 2020 to 45% in 2050 according to the report.

Transport however, remains a challenge, though even here significant shifts from 3% renewables in 2020 to around 10% in 2050 are feasible, claims EREC.

Commenting at the launch of the report, EREC President, Arthouros Zervos said: “ Clearly, the overarching pre-condition for this to happen is that the commitment towards a 100% renewable energy system for the European Union needs to be established as the guiding principle for all European policies in the fields of energy, climate, R&D, industry, regional development and international cooperation.”

Further information:
www.rethinking2050.eu/fileadmin/documents/Rethinking2050ExecutiveSummary_final.pdf
www.rethinking2050.eu