SUSTAINABLE ENERGY UNITED IN DIVERSITY Challenges and approaches in energy transition in the EU Editors L.Squintani and H.H.B.Vedder with M.Reese and B.Vanheusden EELF Book Series, Volume 1 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY UNITED IN DIVERSITY – CHALLENGES AND APPROACHES IN ENERGY TRANSITION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION L. Squintani and H. Vedder with M. Reese and B. Vanheusden (eds) EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW FORUM BOOK SERIES VOLUME 1 Sustainable Energy United in Diversity – Challenges and Approaches in Energy Transition in the European Union European Environmental Law Forum Book Series, Volume 1 (2014) Under redaction of: L. Squintani, H.H.B. Vedder with M. Reese and B. Vanheusden Cover: Anja Robbeson Layout: Justin Lindeboom © 2014 The authors This is an open source, peer-reviewed publication. The non-commercial reproduction and distribution of any part of this book are allowed provided that the authors are acknowledged. FOREWORD REBECCA HARMS Co-president of the Greens/EFA Group and member of the European Parliament This book makes an invaluable contribution to the current, highly topical, debate on the ener- gy transition, arguing the need for a more European approach to law-making in this area. The book's multidisciplinary approach, bringing together environmental and energy law allows for a comprehensive examination of the challenges and varied approaches within the European Union (EU) and its Member States in favour of a more sustainable energy system and hence a more climate-friendly economy. Given the recent Russia-Ukraine crisis and the subsequent focus on European supply security and energy dependence - as well as the ever-growing urgency of halting climate change, this book's publication comes at a very timely moment. If we want to cap average global warming at 2° C and reduce our substantial dependency on fossil fuels, the significance of progressing towards a sustainable European energy policy becomes more obvious. Yet, currently, EU Member States have - except for a few limited policies - different goals for their individual energy policies, resulting in higher costs, inefficiencies of policies and systems, and so to- gether are weak when it comes to negotiating with energy supplier countries. As the research suggests, a common EU approach on energy transition is Member States' best option for ef- fectively addressing the most pressing challenge of our time. From a practitioner´s point of view, the interdisciplinary approach of the analysis is interest- ing as in practice these areas are closely interlinked: environmental legislation is frequently directed at industry while decisions on energy have a major impact on the environment. The aims of energy sustainability are twofold, firstly limiting the harm to the environment and the climate by our voracious energy appetite, and secondly, decreasing our dependency on limited resources. Accordingly, a large proportion of the world’s fossil fuels must remain in the ground while investments in fossil energy must be re-directed towards renewables, greater energy savings and energy efficiency. Long-term objectives must be fixed, in order to be able to make the specific and sound investments that are needed. Effectively, this can only be achieved at European level – EU Member States need to build a joint pathway towards a cli- mate-friendly economy. The creation of a Green European Energy Union – based on improved energy efficiency and energy savings, the expansion of renewable energies and a massive reduction of the dirtiest fossil fuels – would set the right framework to achieve this leap. Renewable energy is not only greener and safer, it is also infinite. Furthermore, in combination with improved energy effi- iii ciency and energy savings it reduces our import dependency. A further huge benefit is that it has already created half a million new jobs in the EU and could create even more in the fu- ture. Like the European Coal and Steel Community in the formative years of the European Union, indeed - with the right comprehensive sustainable legal framework - a Green European Ener- gy Union has great potential to become the EU´s common future project for the 21st century. We have already mastered these new technologies and also have the support of citizens across the EU. What has been missing until now is a broad EU-wide political consensus in favour of sustain- ability. Let’s go for it. iv SUSTAINABLE ENERGY UNITED IN DIVERSITY – CHALLENGES AND APPROACHES IN ENERGY TRANSITION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION Table of Contents FOREWORD BY REBECCA HARMS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................. XV INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 SANDY GAINES CHAPTER 1 THE ENERGY REVOLUTION AS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 1. Sustainability and the energy challenge ............................................................................. 7 2. A theoretical framework for energy sustainability ............................................................. 9 2.1. Sources of sustainable development theory ................................................................. 9 2.1.1. The Brundtland Commission definition ................................................................ 9 2.1.2. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework .......................................... 11 2.1.3. Social-ecological resilience theory ..................................................................... 12 2.2. Sustainable development criteria ............................................................................... 14 2.2.1. Holistic analysis .................................................................................................. 14 2.2.2. Intragenerational and intergenerational equity ................................................... 15 2.2.3. Adaptability and keeping options open ............................................................... 15 2.2.4 Multi-level governance ....................................................................................... 16 3. Applying the sustainability criteria to energy policy ........................................................ 16 3.1 Holistic analysis ......................................................................................................... 17 3.2. Equity in energy ......................................................................................................... 20 3.3. Adaptability as a criterion for energy systems ........................................................... 21 3.4. Multi-level governance .............................................................................................. 22 3.5. Integration of the four criteria .................................................................................... 23 4. Concluding remarks .......................................................................................................... 23 v TABLE OF CONTENTS WYBE DOUMA CHAPTER 2 THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE EU’S BIOBIOFUELS POLICY 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 25 2. The framework .................................................................................................................. 28 2.1. Sustainable development ........................................................................................... 28 2.1.1. Treaty provisions ................................................................................................. 28 2.1.2. Policy documents ................................................................................................ 29 2.2. Science-based and/or precautionary policy approach ................................................ 32 3. The EU’s biofuels policy .................................................................................................. 34 3.1. Directive 2003/30 on the promotion of the use of biofuels for transport .................. 34 3.2. The Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28 ................................................................ 35 3.3. The December 2010 Commission report ................................................................... 36 3.4. The October 2012 proposal: max 5 per cent conventional biofuels .......................... 37 4. Putting the EU biofuels policy to the test ......................................................................... 37 4.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 37 4.2. The RED .................................................................................................................... 38 4.3. The December 2010 report ........................................................................................ 43 4.4. The October 2012 proposal ........................................................................................ 43 5. Concluding remarks .......................................................................................................... 44 YELENA M. GORDEEVA CHAPTER 3 WOOD BIOMASS SUSTAINABILITY UNDER THE RENEWABLE ENERGY DIRECTIVE 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 47 2 The relationship between forest and biofuels ................................................................... 49 2.1. Wood biomass as a source of energy ........................................................................