RENEWABLE ENERGIES GROWING

According to a study released this week by the European Environmental Agency - EEA (http://www.eea.europa.eu/) (published with more delay than desirable to contribute information that could be more useful than just for historical statistical purposes) 14.9% of the total energy consumed in Spain in 2013 came from renewable sources (wind, solar and biomass, among others), representing an increase of 0.6% over the previous year,

The news is surprising - although encouraging – in the light of the countless samples of contempt that the current Government showed with regard to renewable energies, which has led the country to having to deal with a large number of suits from investors (mostly international) due to the official cuts to subsidies formerly committed to those who dared to invest in the sector in recent years.

The report points out that the energy from renewable sources has grown in all countries of the EU in 2013, except for Cyprus, where it was stagnant.

Thus, renewable energy sources contributed 14.9% consumption of the 28 countries of the EU in 2013 and continue the upward trend of recent years.

In this way, the European Union - as a whole - met the goal of 12.1% set in the Renewable Energy Directive in 2013, although it is still far from the goal set by the European Commission aiming at a 20% renewable energy production by 2020.

The study points out that 10 EU countries have already reached the target of 20%: Sweden (56%), Latvia, (36%), Finland (34.9%), Austria (34.5%), Denmark (27.6%), Estonia (26.1%), Portugal (25.8%), Romania (23.8%), Lithuania (22%) and Slovenia (20.7%).

Malta (1.8%), Luxembourg (3.3%), the Netherlands (4.8%), United Kingdom (4.9%) and Cyprus (6.8%) are at the opposite end.

Spain is situated in the 13th position, with 14.9% (exactly the European Union average) even though its percentage of renewable energy - on the total production of energy  at national level - increased by 0.6% to 2012 and 1.7 percent in 2011.

SEVEN PER CENT LESS EMISSIONS

The EEA indicates in the report that greenhouse gas emissions may have been 7% higher than the actual in 2012 if not for the growth of renewable energy.

Coal was the fossil fuel more replaced since 2005, with a fall of 13% until 2012, while natural gas registered a fall of 7%, "at a time when European gas supplies are diminishing", according to the EEA.

However, the EEA points out that renewable energy has not been the only contributing factor to the halt in the emission of CO2, as credit must also be given to (i) policies and measures aimed at reducing emissions of polluting gases, (ii) improvements in energy efficiency and (iii) stimulation of the development of renewable energies.

Unfortunately, Spain has not contributed much in this last aspect. Otherwise, the country could be much better off.////