Page 40 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2017 publication

40 Winter 2017 European Energy Innovation
ELECTRICITY AND THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION

Electricity Sector leaders
commit to accelerating the clean
energy transition

By Kristian Ruby, EURELECTRIC Secretary General

How should industry respond emission reductions in other sectors extraordinary, and it will continue to
to the increasing urgency of through increased use of clean electricity. grow. With the potential for electricity
climate change, air pollution generation to become carbon-neutral,
and depletion of natural Electricity as a product offers countless it will help decarbonise a number of
resources? solutions. Its contribution to the other sectors of the economy, like
development of society today has been transport and heating and cooling.
In December 2017, the European
electricity sector announced a new Press Conference on the new long-term vision for the electricity industry in Europe,
long-term vision for the electricity from left to right: Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of EURELECTRIC, Magnus Hall,
industry in Europe. Vice-President of EURELECTRIC and CEO of Vattenfall, Francesco Starace, President
of EURELECTRIC and CEO and General Manager of Enel Group, and Alistair
National associations and Chief Phillips-Davies, Vice-President of EURELECTRIC and Chief Executive of SSE.
Executives from all major power
companies in Europe have agreed a
vision declaration that commits the
sector to accelerate the clean energy
transition, taking a leading role in
Europe’s efforts towards the Paris
Agreement.

Sector leaders have all committed to
take action to support the economy-
wide shift to a climate-friendly
society and achieve a carbon-neutral
electricity mix in the EU well before
mid-century.

ELECTRIFICATION AS A KEY
DECARBONISATION TOOL
The new Vision statement is articulated
around three major ideas: what
electricity can bring to society, what
the electricity industry commits to and
what is needed from policymakers to
deliver. Together, these three elements
ensure that electricity continues to
add value to the lives of citizens,
communities and future generations.

With the new vision, the sector
strengthens its commitment to invest
in clean power generation and other
transition-enabling solutions and,
importantly, to help accelerate CO2

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