The European Union (EU) reached a provisional agreement that raises the EU’s binding renewable target for 2030 to a minimum of 42.5%, up from the current 32% target, reinforcing the EU Renewable Energy Directive. The provisional agreement now requires formal adoption by the European Parliament and the Council.

Member States will put in place dedicated acceleration areas for renewables, with particularly short and simple permitting processes. The provisional agreement also enhances cross-border cooperation on renewables.

The agreement includes targets and measures to support the uptake of renewables across various sectors of the economy. For example, for the key energy-consuming sector of industry, the agreement establishes indicative targets (1.6% of annual increase in renewable energy use) as well as a binding target to reach 42% of renewable hydrogen in total hydrogen consumption in industry by 2030.

Finally, the agreement strengthens the bioenergy sustainability criteria, in line with the increased climate and biodiversity ambition of the European Green Deal (EU’s long-term growth strategy to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050).