News 17 March 2022 News from SKAO
The Fit for 55 package and the CO2 Performance Ladder
The Fit for 55 package is the set of measures designed to meet the EU’s 2030 climate goals. Foremost among them is the target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030 (compared to 1990). The package addresses the EU's climate, industrial, energy, transport and taxation policies, setting specific targets for each sector.
The package revises many EU directives, including rules on emissions trading and energy efficiency, tightens greenhouse gas reduction targets for each EU member state (the Netherlands for example will have to reduce by 48% instead of 36%). In addition, the EU is aiming for 40% renewable energy by 2030 and it will become compulsory to measure the CO2 emissions of building materials throughout their life cycle. Fossil fuel taxes will be increased to accelerate the shift from grey to green energy and to boost energy efficiency. Methane is also tackled, along with alternative fuels and fuel used by planes and ships.
All this with the aim of accelerating the energy transition in a cross-sectoral approach that can achieve the substantial reductions needed over the next eight (!) years. The Fit for 55 package will therefore be crucial in the coming years, not only for those with an intrinsic motivation to work for sustainability, but for all organisations, regardless of sector or size.
The CO2 Performance Ladder is once again an applicable tool to achieve these goals, and to drive ambition. The Ladder can help all types of organisations - businesses and governments - to reduce their energy use, and save money through increased efficiency and by burning increasingly less (increasingly expensive) fossil fuels. Moreover, the Ladder can give a significant boost to the use of alternative fuels and increase the demand for renewable energy. As a procurement tool, the Ladder can harness the Power of Procurement to embed structural reduction in organisations of all types.
So, the Fit for 55 package maps the dot on the (near) horizon and the steps to get there, and the Ladder helps to bring us to that point.