BRUSSELS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Wednesday announced it committed to cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 while modernizing the EU's economy and delivering on jobs and growth for all European citizens.
The European Commission wants the EU to lead the clean energy transition, not only adapt to it. For this reason, it presented "Clean Energy for All Europeans" proposals which have three main goals: putting energy efficiency first, achieving global leadership in renewable energies and providing a fair deal for consumers.
This package of measures is designed to show that the clean energy transition is the growth sector of the future. Clean energy in 2015 attracted global investment of over 300 billion euros (317.09 billion U.S. dollars).
The EU is well placed to turn this transition into a concrete industrial opportunity, it said in a statement. By mobilizing up to 177 billion euros of public and private investment per year from 2021, this package can generate up to 1 percent increase in GDP over the next decade and create 900,000 new jobs, the statement added.
The Clean Energy for All Europeans legislative proposals cover energy efficiency, renewable energy, design of the electricity market, security of electricity supply and governance rules for the Energy Union. In addition, the Commission proposes a new way forward for "eco-design" as well as a strategy for connected and automated mobility.
The package includes actions to accelerate clean energy innovation and to renovate Europe's buildings. It provides measures to encourage public and private investment, to promote EU industrial competitiveness and to mitigate the societal impact of the clean energy transition.
