A bright future for fossil energy in the EU?

Fabian Hübner

Policy Paper

The expansion of the electricity and gas distribution networks presents an obstacle to a decentralised, Europe-wide transition to renewable energy. Supporting electricity and gas infrastructure projects allows energy companies to profit on the energy markets from their production overcapacities of fossil fuels. At the same time, these fossil fuel-based infrastructure projects set the EU on a long-term emissions path that obscures official concepts such as climate neutrality.

Fabian Huebner examines the EU’s negotiating mandate for the climate summit (COP21) in Paris taking into account the main interests that are represented in the process and the main goals being pursued by the Commission. Those are clearly opposed to the much needed social and environmental transformation of the current production, distribution and use of energy in the European Union.

A bright future for fossil energy in the EU?PDF file