European Parliament approves long-debated directive and raises renewable energy targets

The European Parliament on Tuesday, 12 September, gave final approval to legally binding targets to accelerate the expansion of renewable energy sources by 2030. The revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), which MEPs had already provisionally agreed with the Council, raises the share of renewables in the EU’s final energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030. Member states should also aim to reach a 45% share, reports Euractiv.

The European Parliament approved the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive on Tuesday by a large majority: 470 lawmakers voted in favour, 120 against and 40 abstained.

Compared with the current target, which set renewables at 32% of the EU’s final energy consumption in 2030, the target has been raised to 42.5%. However, the EU should aim to reach a 45% share. The target is shared, while individual targets for member states range from 18% to 49%, reflecting their different starting points and development potential.