In the first half of 2024, half of the electricity produced in the European Union came from renewable sources, with wind energy overtaking gas to become the second-largest source of electricity in the EU, just behind nuclear energy.
Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU fell by 32.5 percent between 1990 and 2022, while the EU’s economy grew by around 67 percent during the same period.
The European Union has overcome critical risks to energy supply security, regained control over energy markets and prices, and accelerated the transition to climate neutrality, according to the key findings from the 2024 EU Energy Status Report, published by the European Commission portal.
The EU has also managed to reduce the share of Russian gas imports from 45 percent in 2021 to 18 percent by June 2024. Meanwhile, imports from trusted partners such as Norway and the United States have increased.
At the same time, the EU reached its goal of 90 percent gas storage for the upcoming winter by August 2024, well ahead of the November 1 deadline. While significant progress has been made in meeting the goals of the Energy Union, the report reveals areas where improvements are still needed:
“The EU’s efforts in energy efficiency must be further strengthened to achieve the goal of reducing final energy consumption by 11.7 percent by 2030.”
The report also urges all EU countries to submit their final updated national energy and climate plans as soon as possible to ensure the collective achievement of energy and climate goals by 2030.