Renewable fuels of non-biological origin would play an expanded role in satisfying EU decarbonisation targets.

By Paul A. Davies, JP Sweny, Michael D. Green, James Bee, and Alexander Leighton

The European Council has formally endorsed the proposed amendments to Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (the Renewable Energy Directive), as provisionally agreed in principle between the European Council and European Parliament during the trilogue process.

The amendments, commonly referred to as RED III, would mandate that the share of renewable energy in the EU’s overall energy consumption must rise to a minimum of 42.5% by 2030, with a further non-binding EU-wide goal to achieve 45% by this date, in order to meet the EU’s legally binding target of a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as compared to 1990 levels. RED III therefore proposes a more ambitious mandatory target than the 32% set under the existing text of the Renewable Energy Directive.