Renewable energy in the European Union

Renewable energy progress in the European Union (EU) is driven by the European Commission's 2023 revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, which raised the EU's binding renewable energy target for 2030 to at least 42.5%, up from the previous target of 32%. Effective since November 20, 2023, across all EU countries, this directive aligns with broader climate objectives, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Additionally, the Energy 2020 strategy exceeded its goals, with the EU achieving a 22.1% share of renewable energy in 2020, surpassing the 20% target.

The largest renewable energy category for Europe in 2023 was solid, liquid, and gaseous biomass, which comprised half of all renewable energy consumption that year. In particular, wood is the leading source of renewable energy in Europe, far ahead of solar and wind. In 2023, renewables provided 26.2% of total EU energy consumption in heating and cooling, marking an 11.7% increase since 2004. In electricity, renewables accounted for 45.3% of gross energy consumption, led by wind (38.5%) and hydro-power (28.2%), followed by solar (20.5%), solid biofuels (6.2%) and other renewable sources (6.6%). In transport, the share of renewable energy used reached 10.8%. Renewable electricity generation reached 50% of total EU electricity in the first half of 2024.

In 2023, Sweden led among EU countries with 66.4% of its gross final energy consumption derived from renewable sources, followed by Finland (50.8%), Denmark (44.9%), and Latvia (43.2%). Conversely, Luxembourg reported the lowest renewable energy proportion with only 11.6%, followed by Belgium (14.7%), Malta (15.1%), and Ireland (15.3%).

The renewable energy directive enacted in 2009 lays out a framework for individual member states to share the overall EU-wide 20% renewable energy target for 2020. Promoting the use of renewable energy sources is important both to the reduction of the EU's energy dependence and in meeting targets to combat global warming. The directive sets targets for each individual member state taking into account the different starting points and potentials. Targets for renewable energy use by 2020 among different member states varied from 10% to 49%. 26 EU member states met their national 2020 targets. The sole exception was France, which had aimed for 23% but only reached 19.1%. As of 2023, Ireland had also dropped below its 2020 target.