The
European Parliament adopted a written
declaration on establishing a green hydrogen
economy and a third industrial revolution in
Europe through a partnership with committed
regions and cities, SMEs and civil society
organisations with 420 MEPs signing the
declaration. The President of the European
Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering announced at the
beginning of the session in Strasbourg, that
with more than half of all MEPs signing the
declaration it had been adopted.
The written declaration calls
upon the EU Institutions to:
-
pursue a 20% increase in
energy efficiency by 2020,
-
reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 30% by 2020 (compared to 1990
levels),
-
produce 33% of
electricity and 25% of overall energy from
renewable energy sources by 2020,
institute hydrogen fuel
cell storage technology, and other storage
technologies, for portable, stationary and
transport uses and establish a decentralised
bottom-up hydrogen infrastructure by 2025 in
all EU Member States,
-
make power grids smart
and independent by 2025 so that regions,
cities, SMEs and citizens can produce and
share energy in accordance with the same
open-access principles as apply to the
internet now.
Global warming and costs
of fossil fuels, say MEPs, are increasing and
having regard to the debate launched by the
European Parliament and the Commission on the
future of energy policy and climate change. A
post-fossil fuel and post-nuclear energy vision
should be the next important project of the
European Union.
The declaration says the
five key factors for energy independence are:
maximising energy efficiency, reducing
global-warming gas emissions, optimising the
commercial introduction of renewable energies,
establishing hydrogen fuel-cell technology to
store renewable energies and creating smart
power grids to distribute energy.
What's next
The written declaration
will be forwarded, together with the names of
the signatories, to the Commission and the
Member States. The declaration will be included
in the minutes of the sitting. Publication in
the minutes closes the procedure.
Additional information
European Parliament adopted declaration on establishing a green hydrogen economy