The Energy and Climate Package

In March 2007 the EU’s leaders endorsed an integrated approach to climate and energy policy that aims to combat climate change and increase the EU’s energy security while strengthening its competitiveness.

In response, the European Commission proposed binding legislation to implement the so-called '20-20-20 targets' in January 2008 (see Commission Website):

A reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions of at least 20% below 1990 levels
20% of EU energy consumption to come from renewable resources
A 20% reduction in primary energy use compared with projected levels, to be achieved by improving energy efficiency.

This ‘Energy and Climate' package was agreed by the European Parliament and Council in December 2008 and became law in June 2009.

IIASA contribution

To inform the Commission in developing the quantitative proposal for climate action, and in particular on the sharing of efforts among Member States, IIASA has employed its GAINS model to estimate the likely potential and costs of further mitigation measures of non-CO2 greenhouse gases. As a starting point, the assessment has assumed for 2020 the national projections of emission generating activities that have been provided to IIASA by the Member States in 2006 in the course of the revision of the NEC directive.

This quantitative information, together with a study on the potentials and costs for mitigating CO2 emissions conducted by the National University of Athens, has been used by the European Commission to propose targets and mechanisms for the sharing of efforts among the 27 Member States. The methodology employed by the Commission for developing the quantiative proposal is described in the Impact Assessment accompanying the implementation measures for the EU's objectives on climate change and renewable energy for 2020.