Moscow: The European Union agreed to roughly increase the proportion of renewable energy in the energy consumption of the 27-nation bloc by 2030 to become carbon neutral and move away from Russian fossil fuels.

The temporary political agreement aims to increase the amount of renewable energy from its current 22 percent to 42.5 percent. It was agreed following a night of negotiations between the EU parliament and states.

By 2050, the EU wants to have a “climate neutral” economy with zero net emissions of greenhouse gases. The decision also comes at a time when the EU is attempting to reduce its reliance on Russian fossil fuels following Moscow’s last year’s cutoff of petrol shipments and the bloc’s ban on seaborne crude and other petroleum products from the nation.

The figure is a compromise between the states’ requested 40 percent and the 45 percent share for renewables sought by EU parliamentarians and the EU’s executive body, the European Commission. Previously, a 32 percent goal had been established for 2030. With the proposed regulation, red tape for renewable energy projects is to be reduced.

According to a statement from the Council of the EU, which speaks for the governments of the EU, the objective is to “fast-track the deployment of renewable energies” as part of the EU’s strategy “to become independent from Russian fossil fuels, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” The development of this infrastructure has been slowed down, as per business complaints.

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