EU Commission President emphasizes Europe’s determination to expand renewable energies
Securing the supply of raw materials needed for the energy transition has also made it onto the agenda of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In her speech yesterday (Tuesday), EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that Russia’s attack on Ukraine had accelerated Europe’s determination to push ahead with the expansion of renewable energies and to decouple itself from fossil fuels from Russia. That’s what the RePower EU plan unveiled last week aims to do, including nearly doubling the share of renewables on the continent by 2030.
However, the raw materials needed for implementation, such as rare earths, should not lead to new dependency relationships, von der Leyen pointed out. Work needs to be done on the resilience of the relevant supply chains. The Commission had already concluded strategic raw materials partnerships with countries such as Canada, and others would follow.
The World Economic Forum runs until May 26, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will also address the plenary session of the World Economic Forum.
Photo: iStock/stormwatch153
