Europe’s citizens in call for more renewable energy use

Date: 13/03/03

By Karen Carstens

MOST EU citizens want more of their energy to come from renewable sources sooner than would be possible under existing policies.

They also underestimate the amount of energy consumed by transport and overestimate the amount 'wasted' by industry.

Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said these were some of the key findings of a Eurobarometer survey on energy produced by the Brussels-based European Opinion Research Group for his directorate.

"There is a lack of awareness when it comes to individual behaviour, especially with regard to the use of transport," Busquin said.

At the same time, he added, "people tend to put blame on the shoulders of industry far out of proportion in relation to the actual amount of energy used".

Based on interviews with some 16,000 people across all the member states, the survey found that nearly nine out of ten respondents (88) consider global warming and climate change to be "serious problems requiring immediate action".

Topping the list of safety concerns was the maintenance of nuclear power plants and the cleaning-up of nuclear waste.

While most respondents had trouble grasping the complex concept of 'nuclear fusion', (a nuclear reaction in which two positively-charged cores of atoms combine to form another element resulting in the release of energy) 59 also said they see a need to further develop this energy source.

The EU will invest €750 million in fusion research over the next four years.

Busquin said that the comparative figure for renewables was €810 million.

In terms of research, renewable energy sources (69) and cleaner means of transport (51) were high on most respondents' agendas. These were followed by nuclear fusion (21), with conventional energy sources lagging far behind.

Moreover, while southern Europeans led by Greece, Spain and Italy - along with Finland - favour the idea of developing new energy technologies, northern member states such as Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria and the UK put a stronger emphasis on energy saving.

On energy research and development, 69 of respondents were in favour of increasing research on renewable energies, with Sweden in the lead at 80. "We all know that energy consumption is on the rise, and that this increase is not sustainable in the long term, but we do not want to change our habits," Busquin said. "That is the energy paradox."

• The Belgian commissioner signed an agreement with US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham last Thursday (7 March) aimed at fostering the development of clean energy and alternative fuel sources.

The focus of the joint initiative will be on hydrogen fuel cell technology and reducing the carbon dioxide emissions responsible for climate change.

"You can't reduce emissions unless you improve your technology or you dramatically reduce your economy," Abrahams said. "I think that everybody across the board thinks that technology is the key."

The US government will be putting around 1.7 billion (€1.5bn) into hydrogen technology initiatives over the next five years.

The EU spent €120 million in 1998 -2002 to fund research in this area, and aims to increase that amount through the Sixth Research Framework Programme (FP6), which has earmarked €2.12 billion to the energy and transport sectors.

Abraham also met Commission President Romano Prodi and agreed to the signing of a fuel cell 'annex' to a non-nuclear energy cooperation agreement between the EU and US in the near future.

Most EU citizens want more of their energy to come from renewable sources sooner than would be possible under existing policies, according to a Eurobarometer survey.