Civil society-led energy scenario maps out path to climate neutral Europe by 2040

Non-governmental organisations led by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and the European Environmental Bureau put forward their “Paris Agreement Compatible (PAC) Scenario for Energy Infrastructure” on the virtual European stage today. The scenario shows a path to achieving:

• net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040
• 100% renewables in Europe by 2040 in all sectors
• a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030

It is the first time that civil society organisations have collectively developed such a scenario, making this an outstanding contribution to the urgently needed cross-sectoral and cross-societal debate on how Europe’s energy future should look.

The NGOs said the study is a beacon of hope in the fight against climate change, but they also called on European policy makers and energy infrastructure planners to show more ambition when drafting laws, targets and plans for our energy system.

Wendel Trio, Director of CAN Europe, said: “This scenario clearly shows that there’s only one type of barrier to being ambitious enough and limiting temperature rise to 1.5°: man-made ones. We have the technology, we have the resources and now is the moment for Europe to take transformational action.”

Jeremy Wates, Secretary General of the EEB, said: “This report shows that not only is climate neutrality possible, but it can also be achieved much earlier than suggested by the European Commission. It provides a roadmap for a healthier future and a more resilient economy based on clean energy and the principles of sustainability”