Dennis Milazzo
In the United States, there has been a consistent struggle for Democratic lawmakers to pass policy and other legislation efforts in pursuit of green energy usage. Renewable energy is not a bipartisan issue in the US, which is the sole cause for the lack of success in passing legislation catered around green energy. The European Union however has found success in their renewable energy efforts, as wind and solar electricity is at an all-time high in the first half of 2024.
The United States is currently behind the EU in annual clean spending. In 2023, the EU invested $86 billion alone into clean-tech spending. In early 2024, the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) was passed by the European Parliament, providing a roadmap for the Union to meet its target of cutting emissions by 92% by 2040. The plan also aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This was a reaction to the US’ Inflation Reduction Act, as through NZIA the EU aims to support a plethora of industries such as homeshore supply chains and nascent industries. NZIA will also accelerate the deployment of technology aimed at decarbonizing the European industry, emphasizing the importance of private investment and streamlining the deployment of technologies. Some of these technologies include:
Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS): Due to waste’s 50-60% biogenic fraction, Waste-to-Energy plants can reduce waste and achieve net negative carbon emissions. For example, AVR Duiven has had a Co2 facility in operation since 2019 and has a capture capacity of 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. This capacity can be routed to local horticulture efforts in support of sustainable fruit and vegetable production.
Sustainable Biogas and Biomethane Technologies: Municipal waste presents a viable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. At the Dietikon facility, energy is integrated with CO₂ derived from wastewater to create biomethane, resulting in an annual production of 18,000 MWh of a natural gas substitute and a reduction of CO₂ emissions by as much as 5,000 tonnes.
In addition to traditional incineration, the adoption of various technologies categorized as ‘net-zero technologies’ within the NZIA framework in Waste-to-Energy plants highlights the sector's crucial contribution to the transition towards net-zero emissions. As the legislative session concludes with notable advancements in both industrial and environmental domains, ESWET applauds the EU's aspirations and endorses the role of Waste-to-Energy in fostering a more sustainable Europe.
For the European Union, achieving climate neutrality by 2050 will be a challenging endeavor. Due to the existing variations different states and regions have on their reliance on fossil fuels, the plans in place will have to cater to these differences. The EU plans on becoming the first continent to reach a net-zero emissions balance, leading the world in seeking and achieving sustainability. In July 2020, European Council President Charles Michel can be quoted as saying, “Climate neutrality is no longer a question of choice, it is beyond doubt a necessity.” With these new plans not only in place but active in shaping the future of worldwide sustainability, Americans must ask themselves what they can do to aid in this humanitarian venture.
Citations
1.Ambitions vs. reality: EU’s 2030 net-zero targets out of reach as clean tech investments fall behind US and China. Rystad Energy. (2024, May 31). https://www.rystadenergy.com/n...;
2.Eswet Welcomes Landmark EU Parliament vote on Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) - ESWET - european suppliers of waste to energy technology. ESWET. (2024, May 13). https://eswet.eu/documents/eswet-welcomes-landmark-eu-parliament-vote-on-net-zero-industry-act-nzia
3. 5 facts about the EU’s goal of climate neutrality. (n.d.). https://www.consilium.europa.e...;