WindEurope has called on EU energy ministers to commit to a binding renewables target for 2040, ahead of their energy policy discussions on 26 June. The association argues that without a clear post-2030 goal, Europe risks stalling the investment momentum that has built up around wind and solar.
The EU’s 2030 renewables target has accelerated wind and solar deployment, reduced exposure to fossil fuel price swings and unlocked manufacturing investment across the continent, WindEurope said. With energy prices still a political flashpoint, it framed home-grown electricity as a central energy security tool. Beyond 2030, however, there is no binding commitment in place.
“Only a binding 2040 renewables target with dedicated wind volumes can drive the investments the EU seeks. Capital flows to clarity,” said WindEurope chief executive Tinne van der Straeten, calling for an unmistakable political signal for more competitive, home-grown renewable electricity.
The association points to the scale at stake: wind supplies about 20% of Europe’s electricity and supports more than 440,000 jobs across over 250 factories, with more than €15bn invested in new and upgraded plants in the past three years. It warns that once industrial capacity is lost, it is hard to rebuild. A 2040 target, it adds, must be backed by governance that turns national energy plans into technology-specific auctions and follows through on faster permitting, easier repowering and renewable power purchase agreements.
For the Baltic Sea region, where several countries are scaling up offshore wind, a firm 2040 framework would give developers and the supply chain longer-term certainty for projects that take years to plan and build.
