Agora Energiewende published a new report that includes ten priority measures for the new EU Commission and European Parliament:
- Establish a Standing Committee on the European Energy Transition in the European Parliament, as well as an Energy Transition Support Service at the European Commission that helps member states on demand to resolve concrete implementation challenges, whether in the area of building retrofitting or the cost-effective expansion of renewables.
- Revise EU state aid rules to create more space for national measures that promote the energy transition.
- Adopt a binding “shadow price” for carbon emissions of €80-100 per tonne of CO2that applies to all European and national infrastructure and investment decisions.
- Conduct an early review of new CO2emission standards for cars and strengthen standards to encourage the full exploitation of technical potential and advance the adoption of electric vehicles.
- Strengthen the new CO2emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles prior to 2022 and adopt a quota for zero and low-emission vehicles (ZLEVs). In addition, member states need the freedom to put in place road charges that reflect the costs of CO2emissions and public electric charging infrastructure.
- The new European Commission should propose a legislative package that promotes the gradual decarbonization of aviation and shipping fuels.
- Encourage the development of a competitive and environmentally sustainable European battery industry, in part by adopting minimum carbon footprint standards for batteries sold in Europe.
- Establish a binding and gradually increasing EU-wide renewable gas quota for natural gas suppliers in order to advance the decarbonization of industry and facilitate investment in at least 30 Gigawatts of electrolyser capacity in Europe by 2030.
- Establish increasingly stringent requirements for public authorities to purchase low- and zero-carbon cement and steel for infrastructure projects, as is already legally required in California. This will provide investment security to companies that want to adopt innovative production methods while only placing minimal additional burdens on public budgets.
- The report also identifies specific spending priorities for the 2021–27 EU budget that are necessitated by the European energy transition.