European Investment Bank Group Activity Report 2019. Отсутствует

       OUR CLIMATE ROADMAP AND ENERGY LENDING POLICY

       > €1 TRILLION FOR < 1.5°C

       In 2019, the European Investment Bank laid out its climate and environmental ambitions for the next decade. Here’s our roadmap to meet the climate challenge.

      To avoid many more big climate challenges, we need to decarbonise quickly. The next decade will be critical.

      Under the Paris Agreement, nearly all governments across the world agreed to keep global warming below 2°C and to fight to limit it to 1.5°C. To reach these goals, we must emit less than 580 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. At the current rate of about 37 gigatonnes per year, we will have passed this limit by 2032.

       Picking up where the private sector left off

      The private sector has not been shouldering the costs of stopping climate change. This is why the public sector is taking more action, increasing investment and encouraging people and companies to change their habits. In Europe, investment in energy systems, for example, needs to almost double over the next decade – reaching up to €400 billion per year.

      Public banks can invest in long-term infrastructure projects and in the innovation required for the transition to a sustainable future. We can, for example, make investments in a large-scale battery that charges on windy or sunny days and discharges even when there’s no sun or wind. Public banks can help sectors where investment is slow, such as making homes more energy efficient.

       What the European Investment Bank will do

      31% of our financing supported climate action in 2019. We will increase our backing for climate environmental and sustainability to 50% by 2025 – that’s over €30 billion per year. But that will not be enough, and most of the new money to help the climate will have to come from the private sector. The European Investment Bank attracts extra financing for each project - from the private and public sectors. Our stamp of approval encourages other investors, especially private banks, to see that the project is sound.

       We aim to support more than €1 trillion to fight climate change and help the environment in the decade 2030.

      By the end of 2020, all our financing will be aligned with the Paris Agreement. Our financing will be consistent with a pathway to low emissions and climate-resilient development. In industries where reducing emissions is difficult, we will support projects that help companies shift to a low-carbon model. We will also ensure that all projects manage the future risks of climate change.

       Our new energy policy

      By the end of 2021, we will stop supporting conventional fossil fuel projects, such as oil and natural gas production or traditional gas networks.

      We will focus on:

      •energy efficiency, such as building and home renovation, better road lighting and green transport

      •energy supplies that don’t cause emissions, which will help Europe achieve its target of getting at least 32% of all energy from renewable sources

      •electricity grids that connect new sources of low-carbon energy

      •innovation in energy production, storage and use

       An inclusive transition

      The regions that are most dependent on fossil fuels need more support. Green energy projects will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, but we must pay special attention to regions where coal mines and other carbon-intensive industries employ large numbers of people and support the economy. We must foster training for new careers and give our backing to projects that attract new industries to these areas.

      A climate-friendly energy policy can help society. In the European Union, 11% of the population is unable to heat their homes affordably. Millions of people struggle to pay their gas and electricity bills or heat their homes adequately. Older women suffer the most because they have lower incomes and spend more time at home. If we improve the energy efficiency of housing across the continent, this will cut emissions, lower energy bills and make lives better.

      Similarly, clean urban transport projects provide affordable transport, but also improve the air and society’s health. Investments in climate-friendly farming in regions that don’t have a lot of water will reduce the risks of land becoming deserts and jobs moving away.

       Sustainable development

      We must support green projects that help the world meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

      Investing in the environment and in the fight against climate change can enhance people’s incomes, improve their living conditions and make sure they have enough food, clean water and sanitation. We can also lower the need to displace homes because of new hazards such as violent weather and flooding. We can reduce the number of people who are exposed to climate risks and vulnerable to poverty by between 62 million and 457 million worldwide.

      We will invest in climate change mitigation projects that have a big impact on people. Small-scale, off-grid renewable energy, such as solar-kit homes in rural Africa, brings electricity to people who have never been connected to power lines. Climate change adaptation projects make bridges and roads stronger, so that they don’t wash away during storms and people can still travel to markets or the doctor or work.

      We also need to give individuals the power to change. The EIB will continue investing in sectors that improve society, such as healthcare and education, and we will keep supporting women’s entrepreneurship and giving more people access to loans to launch a new idea or expand a business.