Climate Lobbying Overview: Eurelectric appears to be highly active in its engagement with EU energy and climate change policy, and has become increasingly positive on a range of regulatory strands since 2017, including on EU policies such as Climate Law, Renewable Energy Directive and Energy Taxation Directive.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: The association’s top-line messaging on climate policy is, on the whole, strongly positive. The organization supports IPCC demanded emissions reductions and in 2020 Eurelectric's Secretary-General endorsed the European Climate Law to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Eurelectric supports the need for government regulation to respond to climate change, in a position paper in 2020 advocating for a “coherent policy framework” to meet the 2030 climate ambition. The association also stated strong support for the Paris Agreement on its website in 2021.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Eurelectric's overall engagement with climate-related regulations in the EU appears to be strongly positive. Eurelectric supports the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and, in 2020 in comments on several EU Commission consultations, has advocated for reforms to make the scheme more effective, such as supporting the extension of the ETS to more sectors, advocating that the Linear Reduction Factor should be raised and suggesting that the removal of free allowances should be an option for Member States. Although, in 2020, the association also advocated in favor of compensatory measures to mitigate associated compliance costs in some Member States. Eurelectric appears to be supportive of the EU’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and advocated for the removal of free allowances from the EU ETS in tandem with CBAM in its response to an EU Commission consultation in 2021.

Historically, the organization has often communicated a preference for technology-neutral policies, for example in 2020 commenting on the Green Deal it advocated for the EU ETS to remain a technology open instrument for emissions reductions. However, Eurelectric appears to have strongly supported renewable energy legislation since 2020, for example in a position paper on the Fit for 55 package in 2021 where it supported increasing the Renewable Energy Target to align with the increased 2030 Climate Target and advocated for higher ambition of the Renewable Energy Directive. In 2020, Eurelectric advocated for “stringent emission standards” for the transport sector in response to the EU Roadmap for Sustainable and Smart Mobility.

Having previously appeared to favor a cautious approach to energy efficiency policy, for example in 2017 arguing for a more “flexible, cost-effective approach” to the EU’s Energy Efficiency Target, Eurelectric has taken strongly supportive positions on the Energy Efficiency Directive, Renovation Wave initiative, and Energy Performance of Building Directive in a position paper and EU consultation response in 2021. In March 2020, evidence disclosed in an EU Parliamentary Briefing suggests Eurelectric warned the European Commission against including a 2030 GHG target in the EU’s Climate Law proposal advocating that it would make the law too complex and a revision of the 2030 target had been announced separately. However, in a 2020 position paper, the organization supported higher ambition for the EU’s 2030 GHG emission reduction target.

Positioning on Energy Transition: Eurelectric has strongly engaged in favor of transitioning the energy mix, including supportive positions in its 2021 Fit-for-55 position paper and ‘Electric Decade’ report, pushing electrification as a key lever for decarbonization in Europe. In a private letter to the EU Director of the Internal Energy Market in 2020, the association strongly supported the electrification of transport, heating and industry. In a comment on the Energy Taxation Directive in 2020, the organization advocated that tax exemptions on aviation and maritime fuels be partially removed to accelerate the transition to cleaner transportation. In its 2021 consultation response to the EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Package, Eurelectric appeared to support a decline in fossil gas and increase in decarbonization of the energy mix, although also stated that “cautious considerations towards the potential of hydrogen blending are necessary.”