European Council Adopts Ambitious Legislation to Promote Renewables and Decarbonize Aviation

The European Council has adopted two significant pieces of legislation aimed at addressing climate change and decarbonizing key sectors:

1. Renewables Energy Directive: This directive mandates that renewable energy must constitute 42.5% of the European Union’s overall energy consumption by 2030. Additionally, EU Member States are encouraged to collectively achieve an indicative target of 45% renewable energy. This represents a substantial increase from the previous 2030 target of 32%. The legislation also sets sector-specific sub-targets to accelerate the adoption of renewables in various industries, including transport, industry, buildings, and district heating and cooling. These targets include achieving at least a 49% renewable energy share in buildings by 2030, reducing transport sector emissions by 14.5% through increased renewables deployment, and increasing the use of renewable energy in industry annually by 1.6%.
2. ReFuelEU Aviation Law: This law aims to decarbonize the aviation sector by accelerating the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Fuel accounts for a significant portion of aviation emissions, and SAF is seen as a crucial tool for reducing the industry’s carbon footprint. The law includes rules for fuel suppliers, aircraft operators, and airports. It requires a minimum share of SAF at EU airports, starting at 2% in 2025 and increasing to 70% by 2050. Aircraft operators are required to refuel only with the necessary fuel for each flight, preventing extra weight from unnecessary fuel and avoiding carbon leakage through “tankering.” The law also establishes a labeling scheme to inform consumers about aircraft operators’ environmental performance using SAF.

These legislative measures align with the European Commission’s “Fit for 55” roadmap, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. They represent significant steps toward achieving the EU’s climate goals and demonstrate the region’s commitment to sustainability and decarbonization.