2.9: Energy
To provide integrated assessments, analyses of how changes in policy and operations within the energy sector contribute to
mitigating climate change, affect human health and the environment, the costs and benefits, progress towards meeting policy
targets and the environmental effectiveness, supported by up‑to-date data, models and indicators.
Other Information:
Analysis - Energy policy will continue to play a central role in combating climate change while at the same time ensuring
a secure supply of energy in Europe. Energy production and consumption, including renewable energy such as bioenergy, have
substantial impacts on human health and the environment, through emissions of air pollutants, waste generation, soil damage,
oil spills etc. The European Commission is developing further the legislative package on energy and climate change policies
agreed in December 2008 including actions towards the achievement of the targets by 2020, for renewable energy, road transport
fuel and energy efficiency, the establishment of a framework for carbon capture and storage and development of demonstration
plants. Further efforts are also being made in energy efficiency, reducing energy demand, advancing the establishment of a
true internal energy market, stimulating energy research and technology development and enhancing international cooperation
on energy issues. European efforts in this area are tightly coupled to those in the rest of the world. Action - We will achieve
our objective by: • developing and maintaining energy and environment indicators and best-practice based on national data
and information submitted to the EEA, IEA , UNEP, Eurostat and other Commission services; • assessing the environmental constraints
and benefits of renewable energy technologies, deployment of new energy technologies and sources, including biofuels and use
of peatlands, carbon capture and storage, in cooperation with the European Commission, UNEP, and the research and business
communities; • providing regular updates on energy and environment indicators, including energy subsidies, and inputs to the
EEA integrated assessments; and • assessing the pressures from energy production and consumption on the environment including
energy efficiency and demand-side policies, choice of fuels, climate change mitigation/energy security pathway and the costs,
benefits and tradeoffs concerning environmental aspects, such as water and biodiversity, of these pathways.
Indicator(s):
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