CRC Press Sustainable Energy Policies for Europe: Towards 100% Renewable Energy: 6 (Sustainable Energy Developments)

The discussion about energy perspectives beyond 2020, up to 2030 and eventually 2050 has started. There seems to be a verbal consensus on the necessity of ambitious climate change mitigation policies, without a convincing perspective of the necessary policy decisions to be reached in due time. Methods to achieve greenhouse gas reduction as well as energy security vary from aiming for 100% renewable energies and setting up appropriate policy frameworks to implementing a mix of renewables comprising so-called clean fossil and nuclear energy. This book provides an analysis of the different approaches and the reasons why there is no sustainable alternative to aiming for 100% renewables – and how this vision could come true. The book provides an overview and in-depth analysis of a vital debate. It describes how the present policy framework with 2020-targets for the share of renewables, for increase of energy efficiency and for greenhouse gas emissions reduction was developed and how it has been implemented so far. Furthermore, it describes and analyses the emerging debate about the future of our energy system and the necessary next steps and targets leading up to 2030. Review "…the discussion about EU energy policy beyond 2020 and up to 2050 has started. An in-depth analysis of this debate is what mostly concerns this book, as well as reviewing the 2020 policy framework, its implementation and its current chances of success. …Not an easy read, but this title holds valuable information from a renewables champion very much on the inside of European energy policymaking."––Renewable UK, Autumn 2013 About the Author Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes (*1954, Germany) is currently the President of the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), the Brussels based umbrella organisation of the European renewable energy sector. He is the President of EREC’s member association, the European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF), the voice of independent producers of energy from renewable sources, and he is a Board Member and the spokesperson for European and International Affairs of the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), the national umbrella orginsation of the renewable energy sector.He is closely engaged in European policy development for renewable energies in the European Union as well as in his home country, keeping close contacts with government representatives, parliamentarians, European Commission and other stakeholders. He is convinced that a complete shift of our energy system to renewable energy is necessary for the sake of energy security and climate protection and that it is technically and economically feasible – much faster and less costly than supporters and beneficiaries of conventional and nuclear energy are trying to make believe. Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes has delivered speeches and presentations and participated in panel discussions all over the world – on behalf of the organisations he is representing or advising, and as an independent consultant providing policy advice and knowledge about sustainable renewable energy development and policies for scaling up renewables on local, national, regional and global level in order to facilitate their becoming the mainstream energy sources already in the near future.Representing EREC he is a member of the Renewable Energy Industry Advisory Board (RIAB) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and a member of the Steering Committee of the global Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) with headquarters in Paris (France), which was founded as an outcome of the first “International Renewable Energy Conference” (IREC), the renewables2004-conference in Bonn. He is also a member of the WREN-Council, the advisory structure of theWorld Renewable Energy Network/Congress.Before engaging with the renewable energy sector in Germany and in Europe, from November 1998 to December 2005, Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes was a Director General in the German Federal