Europe as a whole still generates more power from coal than solar. While most coal generation centres on a small number of countries, predominantly Poland and Germany, many countries retain some form of coal generation. In January, the EU called for a global end to “unabated” coal generation, after the fuel’s firmest defendants relented. Although countries have rapidly expanded their wind capacity, combined onshore and offshore generation still lags behind gas power. Analysts expect gas use to increase in coming years, as it presents a relatively cheap on-demand option for countries moving away from coal. The previous renewable energy directive mandated that EU nations generate 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2020. It also aimed for a 20% cut to emissions and a 20% improvement in energy efficiency.
In its most recent progress update looking at 2018, energy consumption levels remained higher than targeted and headed in the wrong direction. As a result of the sharp, unexpected drop in power consumption following the onset of Covid-19 in Europe, the bloc may actually achieve its goals. Economic recovery from the pandemic would wipe away this unintentional victory if, as expected, power consumption returns to previous levels. Signatories of the Paris Agreement agreed to attempt to limit global average temperature rises to “well below” 2°C more than pre-industrial temperatures. Ideally, the document says that signatories would aim for less than 1.5°C of climate change. The EU and its member states all signed this agreement. In order to limit global warming to 1.5°C, humanity’s CO₂ emissions would need to decrease by 45% between 2010 and 2030. An updated EU target adopted in 2020 would aim for at least this, although the EU’s disproportionate emissions means it has not yet aligned itself with the Paris Agreement.