Comparing Renewable Energy Policies in the European Union and Turkey

Abstract

The European Commission’s policy on “climate change and energy” under the Renewable Energy Directive is an important part of the European Commission policies. As a target, the Commission wants its member countries to increase total energy consumption from renewable energy sources to 20% in the European Union (EU) by 2020. This means, any country which is interested in joining the EU should adhere to its policies and conditions regarding energy consumption. In this paper, firstly, we study the trend of renewable energy consumption in the EU. Data illustrate that the EU region, as a whole, is near its goal, although some members still have to work more or undertake reforms to reach the 20% renewable energy target. Secondly, the renewable energy condition in Turkey, a country that has been preparing in the past decade to join the EU, is surveyed. Based on the results, Turkey needs to pay attention to new renewable resources in order to reach the EU’s target.