Causas Climate Parliament MEPs tell EU energy Commissioner more money needed for renewables

A group of MEPs representing the Climate Parliament network met with the European Commissioner for Energy, Günther Oettinger.

The group, led by Sir Graham Watson MEP who is the Chairman of the Climate Parliament, was made up of Satu Hassi MEP (Greens/EFA , Finland), Vittorio Prodi MEP (Socialists & Democrats, Italy), Maria da Graça Carvalho MEP (EPP, Portugal) and Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP (EPP, Finland). The Climate Parliament is a global network of MPs and MEPs from all mainstream political parties campaigning to increase government investment in renewable energy and electricity supergrids.

The MEPs, representing all four main political groups in the European Parliament, stressed to the Commissioner that funding for electricity transmission infrastructure, research and development of renewable energy technologies and more ambitious renewable energy targets for 2030 all have to be made a priority.

The Commissioner shared much of the same thinking and expressed optimism that 2012 could be a year of real progress on all these issues. He agreed that electricity interconnections indeed had to be given priority but emphasised that it was not feasible to exclude gas altogether. Biofuels were also a subject of discussion.

Pictured, left to right: Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP, Maria da Graça Carvalho MEP, Sir Graham Watson MEP, Commissioner Günther Oettinger, Satu Hassi MEP, Vittorio Prodi MEP.