Between China and the United States, the European Union seeks to protect its green industry

2023-10-25 07:42:04
A wind farm in the fields, in Saint-Père-en-Retz, in Loire-Atlantique, in October 2021. JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP

A year ago, Europeans feared having to suffer power cuts, while Moscow had decided, in the summer of 2022, to no longer deliver gas to them. Today, they have the feeling of having escaped the worst, even if energy prices have soared with the war in Ukraine, and are pleased with the way in which they managed this crisis, which could have made them much more harm.

This is the content of a report that the Commission published on Tuesday October 24. Decrease in consumption (18% compared to the average of the previous five years), increasing use of renewable energies (in 2022, they produced 39% of continental electricity) and diversification of supply sources should allow imports of Russian gas in Europe to fall from 155 billion cubic meters to less than 45 billion cubic meters between 2021 and 2023.

Even if it was accompanied by a jump in subsidies for fossil fuels (123 billion euros in 2022) when the Twenty-Seven increased support measures for households and manufacturers faced with soaring prices, the Russian aggression has undoubtedly given arguments to those who, within the European Union (EU), defended a strong ambition in the fight against global warming. It also nourished the community sovereignty program of the member countries, illustrating better than all the presentations the need to reduce its dependencies.

A global race for leadership

It is in this context that the EU adopted the various legislations of its Green Deal – end of the thermal engine in 2035, implementation of a carbon tax at borders, new objectives in terms of renewable energy which should represent 42 .5% of the energy mix by 2030, strengthening of the carbon market… – which should enable it to reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and achieve neutrality carbon in 2050. “In 2022, greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3% [par rapport à 2021] and 32.5% compared to 1990”Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic rejoiced on Tuesday.

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Certainly, but at the same time, the race for leadership in green industries has accelerated all over the world. China was the first to get started, setting itself, in its last five-year plan, ambitious objectives, which notably saw it make a breakthrough in the electric car market. According to a report from the Commission on “European initiatives to promote investments in clean technologies”also published on Tuesday, “Investments announced by China in clean technologies exceed $280 billion”.

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