Europe's 20% target needs tougher legislation

The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) yesterday recommended that Europe's commitment to realizing 20% of energy from renewables target requires tough legislation.

As reported in Renewable Energy World, EREC calls on the European Commission to "give itself the means to impose fines on Member States if it becomes clear that they will not reach their national binding target".

"Efforts to downplay the renewable energy target by stressing the greater significance of the greenhouse gas reduction target - for instance by including nuclear energy to count towards the renewables target - need to be turned down".

Perhaps our lamentable progress in the UK so far, and the apparent attempt to play down the significance of the target, as we commented on back in August, could see our own government having to pay big fines in the coming years?

The EC shows its teeth over vehicle CO2 emissions!

The EC industry commissioner seems to be taking a tough line with the European motor manufacturers.

The EC has been talking about limiting new vehicle CO2 emissions for what seems like years now, and is still nowhere near implementing any enforceable legislation. However, this article from Auto Industry suggests that the let out clause that all the motor manufacturers in Europe assumed that they would be able to use once legislation came in is not going to be available to them.

Essentially, most of the motor manufacturers thought that they would be able to buy their way out of their environmental responsibility for any models they produced with excessive CO2 emissions, (a type of offsetting?), but this looks like it will no longer be a future option for them.

Its rare for me to say this, but, for once, a big up to the EC. (If they carry it through!)