The stranglehold that a small number of energy
companies have over the whole of the European Union is being
challenged in a new Greenpeace report launched in Spain today (1).
The ten largest companies (2) are responsible for 60% of all
greenhouse gas emissions from the European power sector and 90% of
the nuclear waste.
The power sector is responsible for releasing more
than 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and over 2600 tons of
dangerous radioactive waste every year. Today Greenpeace challenged
Europe's top ten climate criminals to move to renewable energy
would, secure energy supplies for the future, and avoid
dangerous
climate change.
"Because more than half of Europe's working
coal power plants are over twenty years old, the next ten years are
crucial. The power sector will decide how the new energy
capacity will be built: whether Europe's power supply will be dirty
fossil fuels and unsafe nuclear energy, or efficient and clean
renewable energy. This is a great opportunity for Europe to shift to
renewables," said Sven Teske, Greenpeace International's energy
expert.
EU countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain and France
rely on imported energy with no guarantee of supply for the future.
The European Commission estimates the EU could be forced to import
70% of its total energy, and 90% of its oil in the next 20 to 30
years if no new measures are taken.
"Every euro invested in
clean energy is a step away from dependency on imported fuels, world
market prices and climate disruption. Renewable energy is the best
way to meet needs for clean electricity," Teske said. " The switch
to clean energy will help protect the climate, insulate national
economies from the fluctuations of the global markets for fossil and
nuclear fuels, and provide secure access to energy for future
generations."
