Fossil Fuels Can Be EliminatedBy 2090, European Study Maintains

A study by Greenpeace and Europe’s renewable energy industries lays out a blueprint for cutting global dependence on fossil fuels by half by 2050 and then switching to all-renewable sources of energy by 2090. The study, entitled Energy (R)evolution, said that governments should phase out subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear power, institute cap-and-trade systems to cut greenhouse gas emissions, introduce tough efficiency standards for buildings and vehicles, set legally binding targets for renewable energy use, and approve incentives that would lead to trillions of dollars in private investment to develop alternative energy sources. The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), co-author of the study, is made up of renewable energy industries and trade and research associations. The group argues that aggressive government policies and a surge in private investment can lead to a far more rapid shift away from fossil fuels than other groups, such as the International Energy Agency, have predicted.