Vía euronews.com
Sweden gets more than half of its energy from renewables but how is the rest of Europe doing when it comes to generating clean power?
Sweden gets more than half of its energy from renewables but how is the rest of Europe doing when it comes to generating clean power?
Sweden
is one of the leading lights when it comes to energy transition in
Europe. The Nordic country gets more than half of all its energy needs
from renewables. By 2045, it plans to be carbon free. The Scandinavian
state’s success, however, is in stark contrast when compared to others.
Despite the EU setting transition targets for 2020, some countries
continue to lag behind. For instance, Poland still remains deeply
reliant on coal to generate its energy. With so many jobs dependent on
the fossil fuel, there is an obvious reluctance to change.
Marek Wystyrk is a former Polish miner. He admits that
transitioning to cleaner fuels is necessary but still believes coal has a
future.
"I think we have to use our wealth of coal. I’m from a
coal-mining family. But I know that we have to facilitate change because
of pollution and our climate,” he says.
Marek steered his eldest son, Szymon, towards a high school
specialising in green energy. For Szymon, the change can’t come soon
enough.
“The environment is very important to me, because in the
place where I live, I don’t need to smoke cigarettes. Just by breathing,
it’s like smoking ten packets of cigarettes a day…..but my generation
will make a change. We are starting to do that.”
While the majority of Poland’s energy still comes from
coal, small steps are being made to generate greener energy in the
country through solar farm initiatives.
By 2020, 15 percent of Poland’s energy needs should come from renewables.
There is also a push to make coal cleaner. Krzysztof
Kapusta is a researcher at the Clean Coal Technology Centre in Mikolow.
The lab is funded by the EU.
“Gasification of coal is better than conventional burning
because it makes it possible to reduce the environmental impact of the
coal utilisation – by removing contaminants such as sulphur and mercury,
for example, before coal utilisation.”
At the University of Silesia, which is located in the heart
of Poland’s coal mining region, Professor Piotr believes change can
happen quickly if the government steps in.
“There are a lot of enthusiastic people, they start to use…
different kinds of renewable energy. If our government will lead them
to be active in this way, the situation will change very fast, I think.”
Europe’s energy picture
- Europe has doubled is renewable use in the past 12 years
- The energy we waste in Europe could power all our building’s needs
- Energy efficient products could save families unto 500 Euros a year
- More than a quarter of the innovations for new tech in renewables are made by European Companies
- The Ocean at Europe’s doorstep could eventually power 10% of all our demand
But, the drive towards cleaner energy has not been without
its problems. Countries in Europe continue to disagree over the bloc’s
2030 transition targets.
Sweden’s Energy Minister, Ibrahim Baylan, however, insists change is both inevitable and economically beneficial.
“Coal is not anymore the cheapest way of producing
electricity or energy….Solar is! This year, we are seeing off-shore wind
being built without any subsidies. So, I think for those countries who
are still arguing for fossil fuels…for coal…From economic point of view I
cannot understand it anymore.
“Obviously when we made the transition it also created tens
of thousands of local jobs…… As a politician you have also to see not
only the jobs you have today.”
Nevertheless, the gap between EU countries when it comes to generating energy from renewables is significant.
In 2016, Eurostat figures showed that Austria (72.6%) and Sweden (64.9 %) produced at least three fifths of all their electricity from renewable energy sources, while Portugal (54.1 %), Denmark (53.7 %) and Latvia (51.3 %) produced more than half.
At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest proportions of renewables were registered in Luxembourg (5.4 %), Malta and the Netherlands (both 6.0 %), Belgium (8.7 %) and the United Kingdom and Cyprus (both at 9.3 %).
Nevertheless, the gap between EU countries when it comes to generating energy from renewables is significant.
In 2016, Eurostat figures showed that Austria (72.6%) and Sweden (64.9 %) produced at least three fifths of all their electricity from renewable energy sources, while Portugal (54.1 %), Denmark (53.7 %) and Latvia (51.3 %) produced more than half.
At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest proportions of renewables were registered in Luxembourg (5.4 %), Malta and the Netherlands (both 6.0 %), Belgium (8.7 %) and the United Kingdom and Cyprus (both at 9.3 %).