The vision foresees a phase out of nuclear and fossil energy, realised with increased use of renewable energy, but first of all with increased use of energy efficiency.
The high reliance on energy efficiency is based on the fact that much more energy efficient technologies exist than those used today. It has been proven for most uses of energy that with efficient technologies, just 10-25% of the current energy consumption is needed.
In the vision, a 45-year transition period is foreseen until 2050 with gradually increasing energy efficiency and use of renewable energy. The high reliance of energy efficiency is expected to be cost-effective, as mass-produced energy efficient products are in many cases only marginally more expensive than traditional, less efficient models. The small extra costs are easily saved with the reduced energy costs during the lifetime of the products.

To realise the vision, INFORSE-Europe recommends:
- that the EU-target of 12% renewable energy is realised by 2010. While some countries are well on their way, it still requires increased efforts in most of the countries
- that EU should aim at an increase of renewable energy to cover 25% of the energy consumption in 2020.
- that the two currently discussed EU energy efficiency directives must be passed as soon as possible (“energy service directive” and “eco-design directive”, see www.inforse.org/Europe/eupolicy.htm), and the proposed target of 1%/year of energy efficiency must be adopted and gradually increased to 2%/year or more until 2010.
- that energy efficiency should be further promoted with clear labels for energy efficiency on all products and with minimum efficiency standards to take the most energy wasting products out of the market.
The successes with labels on white goods show that consumers do care for energy efficiency if the message is clear enough. The currently discussed eco-design directive must be followed by an improved directive for energy efficiency labels.

The growth of renewable energy follows largely the development proposed until 2020 by the European Renewable Energy Council, representing the renewable energy industry. The potentials for increase of energy efficiency are documented by a number of experts including the -Factor 4 Club- and the -Factor 10 Club- of experts promoting respectively 4 times and 10 times increase in energy efficiency.

INFORSE-Europe is a network of 63 citizens-based organisations throughout Europe, promoting a sustainable development on energy.
Read more about the vision for a transition to sustainable energy at http://www.inforse.org/europe/Vision2050.htm.

For information and comments contact:
Gunnar Boye Olesen, INFORSE-Europe coordinator,
e-mail ove@inforse.org, Ph:+45-86227000,
(after 15.11 also mobile: +45 24 26 99 33).