Tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 is an ambitious yet essential step toward mitigating the impacts of climate change. The shift to renewable energy can increase energy security by reducing the dependence on fossil fuel. This article looks at the potential dividends from such an energy transition, including opportunities and challenges to achieving the 2030 target.
Green energy projects pose risks to Indigenous communities, including land grabbing and biodiversity loss. To ensure a just and equitable transition to renewables, climate justice and intersectionality must be central to a just transition.
Green Colonialism urgently needs to be acknowledged and addressed to decolonise and de-Westernise climate change policies. Renewable energy and conservation policies around the world are curtailing and harming Indigenous land rights and communities. Climate policies need to be decolonised by addressing Green Colonialism and ensuring representation and collaboration of Indigenous Communities and the Global South.
Energy efficiency means being independent from Russia’s oil and gas, focusing on renewable energy sources and innovation at EU level. Renewable energy usage should be reflected in the EU’s ambition by more than 40% by 2030, with a particular focus on hydrogen. Energy efficiency is strongly related to energy waste, in the sense that at EU level there should be a new behavior towards minimizing consumption and waste in general.
The revised proposal makes significant progress in terms of expanding the scope of the Directive. RED is responsible for driving unsustainable demand for biomass as a feedstock for biofuels.