By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS (Reuters).- A lead negotiator for the European Parliament proposed that the EU set tougher targets to cut energy use in the next decade. This would allow Europe to lessen its dependence on fossil fuel imports and reduce energy bills.

The European Union is currently negotiating an enormous package of laws that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade. This includes targets to decrease energy consumption by renovating buildings so they consume less fossil fuels.

The key to achieving the EU’s targets for climate change is to reduce energy use, also called “energy efficiency”. Its political influence has been boosted by rising gas prices and fears about disrupting energy supply after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Niels Fuglsang (Danish lawmaker), who is writing the position of the European Parliament on the matter, stated that “We need to basically do whatever we can to reduce the dependence of imports fossil fuels.”

Months of negotiation between EU countries and Parliament will have to be done before the proposal is approved. Both Parliament and the EU must agree to it.

European Commission (which drafts EU policies) suggested that EU decrease final energy consumption by 23% by 2030 in comparison to the projected levels.

Fuglsang proposes to raise that number to 43%, and also adds specific targets for each country. This is 2% more than the 1.5% proposed by Commission. It sets a goal for each country to decrease their energy consumption every year starting in 2024.

“Energy efficiency is the solution to multiple crises.” He said that the climate crisis is not only about energy poverty.

Insulating buildings or making industrial processes energy-efficient will save you money over the long-term, however, such investments can have large upfront costs. EU has asked countries to fund them with its 800-billion euro COVID-19 recovery fund.

Fuglsang suggested that governments also create dedicated funds for energy efficiency, which would target poor households.

Energy prices are on the rise and EU governments have used emergency tax breaks to reduce citizen bills. However, very few countries have implemented energy efficiency programs.

Next week, the Commission will propose actions to encourage such investment and accelerate renewable energy projects.