How the EU is greening energy

Why is greening energy important?

Producing and consuming energy is a major cause of climate change. When fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – are burnt, they release carbon dioxide into the air, contributing to global warming.

Energy use and production account for 75% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing these emissions is a necessary action to fight climate change and reach the EU's 2050 goal of climate neutrality.

Investing in renewables and cleaner forms of energy is also key to increasing energy independence. Renewable energy – whether solar, wind or hydro – can be produced in the EU, which reduces dependence from imports, and creates new jobs and business opportunities locally.

What is the EU doing to green energy?

Measures to green energy in the EU have been in place for over 15 years.

With the European Green Deal launched in 2019, the EU and its member states have stepped up ambition to address global warming and shift towards cleaner energy, in line with the commitments undertaken in the Paris Agreement.

The Green Deal and its Fit for 55 package include a set of laws aiming to cut the EU's greenhouse gas emissions, including in the energy sector. The overall goal is to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

The military aggression of Russia against Ukraine urged EU countries to move faster with the energy shift. The REPowerEU plan, launched in the wake of Russia's war and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, sets out actions to accelerate the clean energy transition, diversify supplies and save energy.

The EU's main goals for the energy transition:

become more independent from energy imports, in particular from Russia
reduce the use of fossil fuels and support the deployment of renewables
increase energy efficiency
improve energy infrastructure and its integration across EU countries

What are the EU's main measures for greener energy?

Renewable energy

The renewable energy directive aims to increase the share of energy produced with renewables in the EU's economy. By 2030, 42.5% of the energy consumed in the EU will come from renewable sources, according to the goals set in the directive.

To push for renewables across the economy and reach the EU's goal, targets have been set per sector, for instance:

buildings: 42% of energy should come from renewables
industry: the use of renewables should increase by 1.6% annually
transport: at least 29% of energy should come from renewables or the emissions intensity of transport fuels should be reduced by 14.5%

Moreover, an additional 2.5% indicative top-up could allow the EU to achieve a 45% target.

The capacity for renewable energy in the EU has increased in recent years. To accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, measures have been adopted to cut red tape, and fast-track procedures have been put in place for granting permits for renewable energy projects.

Council formally adopts regulation to speed up permits for renewable energy projects (press release, 22 December 2022)

The infographic presents the main elements of new proposed EU rules on renewable energy.

Fit for 55: how the EU plans to boost renewable energy (infographic)

Energy efficiency

Saving energy by reducing consumption is crucial to achieve the energy transition. Using less energy means:

fewer greenhouse gas emissions
less pollution
more affordable energy for citizens
reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels

The EU has set the goal to cut energy use by 11.7% by 2030 at EU level, compared to consumption forecasts made in 2020.

The key sectors where consumption should decrease are:

buildings
industry
transport

Fit for 55: how the EU will become more energy-efficient (infographic)

Hydrogen and decarbonised gas

To reduce the use of fossil fuels and progressively switch to cleaner energy, the EU has adopted measures which support the uptake of renewable and low-carbon gases.

The hydrogen and decarbonised package, adopted in May 2024, aims to:

create a market for hydrogen and achieve 40 gigawatts of renewable hydrogen electrolyser capacity by 2030
better integrate renewable and low-carbon gases into the gas grid
improve consumer protection in energy contracts
increase security of supply and cooperation among EU countries

The rules also include restrictions for the supply of gas from Russia and Belarus with the goal of reducing dependence from imported fossil fuels.

Fit for 55: shifting from fossil gas to renewable and low-carbon gases (infographic)

Geothermal energy

Today geothermal energy meets less than 1% of global energy demand. In 2024, only 2.5% of renewable energy sources used for the production of primary energy in the EU came from geothermal sources.

In its conclusions approved in December 2024, the Council called for faster deployment of geothermal energy.

This energy source can be used for affordable and secure heating and cooling and it can provide a stable supply of electricity, helping decarbonise buildings and making industries more competitive and sustainable.

Geothermal energy: Council calls for faster deployment (press release, 16 December 2024)

Buildings

Over one third of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the buildings sector.

The energy performance of buildings directive aims to make buildings in the EU more energy efficient by 2030 and beyond.

The end goal is that by 2050 all buildings in the EU should be zero-emission buildings.

To reach these goals, the directive sets the target of decreasing the average energy use of residential buildings by:

at least 16% by 2030
at least 20-22% by 2035

In addition, more infrastructure should be developed in buildings for bikes and electric cars.

Fit for 55: making buildings in the EU greener (infographic)

Grids and system integration

To become climate-neutral by 2050 and build energy sovereignty, the EU needs to fundamentally transform its energy system into an interconnected energy system.

The energy system in the future should:

be more circular, with energy efficiency at its core
provide more and greener electricity to sectors such as transport and industry
promote low-carbon fuels, including hydrogen, for sectors which are more difficult to decarbonise

In May 2024, the Council adopted conclusions on electricity grid infrastructure. The conclusions stress the need for advancing work to create a better interconnected and integrated electricity network in the EU.

In June 2026, the Council reached a general approach on the European grids package, which comprises a revised regulation on Trans-European networks for energy (TEN-E regulation) and a directive to accelerate permit-granting procedures.

The Trans-European networks for energy policy, launched in 2013, supports cross-border projects to link member states' energy networks and to foster the integration of renewables. The revised TEN-E regulation will modernise, decarbonise and interconnect the EU's cross-border energy infrastructure in order to help the EU achieve its 2050 climate neutrality objectives.