A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SUPPLY FOR EVERYONE

The report assesses how a 30% GHG reduction target by 2020 would affect EU energy security compared to a 20% target and a business-as-usual scenario. It finds that more ambitious targets generally improve primary energy security by reducing overall energy demand and fossil fuel imports, particularly oil. However, it notes that the transition may increase risks for specific countries like Poland due to a shift from coal to imported gas, and could negatively impact electricity grid security due to the intermittency of renewables and the need for significant new capacity investments.

• Increasing the GHG reduction target to 30% generally improves the security of primary energy supply by decreasing total energy demand, diversifying the fuel mix, and reducing the need for imports.
• Energy efficiency (EE) targets are more effective drivers of energy security than renewable energy (RE) targets because EE reduces demand across all fossil-fuel sources, whereas RE targets primarily replace domestic solids and do little to reduce oil dependence.
• A 30% GHG target would lead to significant economic savings in the transport sector due to reduced oil consumption, with median annual savings for the EU 27 estimated at €28.52 billion in 2020 compared to a 20% target.
• The transition to a 30% target may negatively affect the energy security of Poland because it would require shifting from domestic coal-fired power to imported natural gas.
• The Energy Security Index (ESI) shows a mixed or indifferent trend for the EU when moving to a 30% target because the substitution of coal with the relatively less secure fuel of natural gas increases risk.
• Higher GHG targets may negatively impact the security of the electricity supply due to the intermittent nature of wind and solar power, potential decreases in capacity margins, and the high capital intensity of renewable investments.

APA

Escalante, D., Höhne, N., & Hagemann, M. (2011). A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SUPPLY FOR EVERYONE. Climate Strategies. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/cs-energy-security-ecofys.pdf

Chicago

Escalante, Donovan, Niklas Höhne, and Markus Hagemann. A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SUPPLY FOR EVERYONE. Climate Strategies, 2011. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/cs-energy-security-ecofys.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Escalante |first1=Donovan |last2=Höhne |first2=Niklas |last3=Hagemann |first3=Markus |title=A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SUPPLY FOR EVERYONE |publisher=Climate Strategies |date=9 March 2011 |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/cs-energy-security-ecofys.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{escalante2011sustainable, author = {Escalante, Donovan and Höhne, Niklas and Hagemann, Markus}, title = {{A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SUPPLY FOR EVERYONE}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, year = {2011}, month = mar, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/cs-energy-security-ecofys.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }