Raising the share of renewable energy from 8.5% to 20% in the overall
energy consumption is a necessary contribution to the global fight against
climate change and towards better control over our energy dependence. The
various uses of renewable energy are examined: electricity through wind and
hydraulic energies; electricity or heat through geothermal and solar energies;
electricity, heat, and biofuel coming from biomass. The EU is a world leader in
the use and deployment of technologies that exploit renewable energy sources,
providing over 350.000 jobs and an annual turn-over of € 30 billion.