Building a low carbon society

This paper presents the strategy of the European Union in the field of energy and climate change. At the heart of the package are three commitments to be met by 2020: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20%, to ensure that 20% of final energy consumption is met with renewable sources, and to raise energy efficiency by 20%. This strategy is based on the scientific consensus drawn by the International Panel for Climate Change, and implements the EU political strategy to limit the anthropogenic temperature rise to no more than 2 degrees C. A Directive for the geological storage of CO2 is another integral part of the package. This should enable the development and subsequent deployment of zero emission power plants. From a research and technology perspective, the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) lists several energy technologies which will be required to reconcile economic growth and a vision of a decarbonised society. The EU climate and energy package and the SET-Plan are part of the solution both to the climate crisis and to the current economic and financial crisis. They represent a green "new deal" which will enhance the competitiveness of EU industry in an increasingly carbon-constrained world. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.