In 2004, renewable energy covered just 7.9% of the European Unions energy demand. By 2010, this had risen to 12.1% and 2011, to 13%, reports the EU statistical office, Eurostat.
As the authority states, the share of renewable energy in the gross final energy consumption is one of the key indicators of Europes 2020 strategy, which aims to generate 20% of its energy from renewables by 2020.
The current figures show that almost all EU member states increased their share of renewable energy between 2010 and 2011. In Luxembourg, the proportion was said to have remained stable, however, while it declined slightly in Romania, Slovenia and Sweden.
Despite this, the highest share of renewable energy generation was recorded in Sweden at 46.8%. The Scandinavian country was followed by Latvia (33.1%), Finland (31.8%) and Austria (30.9%). Meanwhile, the lowest levels were observed in Malta (0.4%), Luxembourg (2.9%), the U.K. (3.8%), Belgium (4.1%) and the Netherlands (4.3%).
According to Eurostat, the share of renewables in the final energy consumption of all member states increased between 2004 to 2011. The biggest increases during this period were recorded in Sweden (from 38.3 to 46.8%), Denmark (from 14.9 to 23.1%), Austria (from 22.8 to 30.9%), Germany (from 4.8 to 12.3%) and Estonia (from 18.4 to 25.9%).
Translated by Becky Beetz.
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