35 Amendments of Antoni COMÍN I OLIVERES related to 2023/2073(INI)
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas SDG 7 stipulates the aim to achieve sustainable access to affordable and clean energy by 203012 , which is key to the development of agriculture, business, communications, education, healthcare and transportation; _________________ 12 UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ‘The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition – July 2023’, New York, USA, 2023.
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, according to the UN, as of mid-2023, approximately 733 million people worldwide, 80 % of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, still do not have access to affordable, reliable, clean, high-quality energy13 ; whereas the access deficit in this region remains almost the same as it was in 2010; _________________ 13 The International Renewable Energy Agency, ‘Basic Energy Access Lags Amid Renewable Opportunities New Report Shows’, 6 June 2023.
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas it is essential to strengthen diplomacy efforts to foster more ambitious political will in order to effectively address and end energy poverty;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the EU together with its Member States provided the vast majority of Official Development Assistance financing for SDG 7 projects in Africa amounting to EUR 13.8 billion between 2014 and 2020; whereas an estimated 53 % of the disbursements were in the form of loans; whereas more than half of low- income countries are in debt distress or at high risk of getting there, according to the IMF;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the energy transition is severely and persistently underfunded in developing regions, in particular in the least developed countries; whereas many developing countries keep relying excessively on exports of fossil fuels, which leads to a lack of economic diversification, degradation of rule of law standards, increased poverty rates, violation of labour rights, land grabbing and environmental damage;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas most EU-funded projects aim to promote electricity generation, yet the distribution segment is the weakest, despite being essential in achieving SDG 7; whereas many developing countries continue to rely on coal as the primary source for electricity generation;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the countries that make up the G20 account for 80% of global emissions;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the Africa-EU Energy Partnership was renewed in February 2022 with explicit objectives to promote renewable energy generation; whereas REPowerEU sets targets for the annual import of 10 Mt of Green Hydrogen by 2030, and half of this is required to be sourced from outside of Europe;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas green hydrogen has the potential to accelerate the path to decarbonisation of industrial production, provided that it is part of a broader strategy to reduce the overall consumption of energyand addresses the significant costs of hydrogen transport resulting from the lack of necessary infrastructure;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the EU and partner countries share a common but differentiated responsibility to achieve a sustainable energy transition; whereas EU support for renewable energy projects must, in the first place, meet the local population’s needs before supporting export; whereas the export-oriented deployment of renewable infrastructure in developing countries may pose a risk to domestic decarbonization efforts;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that access to affordable and sustainable energy is a basic human right and a precondition for health, education and economic prosperity; underlines that energy access is an essential multiplier to achieve the SDGs; stresses that a net-zero carbon future and the development of renewables must go hand in hand with economic diversification, green industrialisation, decarbonisation, poverty reduction and a human rights- based approach;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls; highlights their daily involvement in collecting firewood and charcoal far from their homes; calls for the EU to step up its support in mainstreaming gender in the energy transition, including through the prioritization of gender-responsive energy projects and initiatives in developing countries, as well as providing technical assistance to integrate gender considerations into the energy transition strategies of developing countries;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is worried about the health and environmental consequences of household fuelwood emissions, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, forest degradation and biodiversity loss;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Is concerned that the use of biomass for cooking will contribute to accelerating forest degradation and greenhouse gas emissions through inefficient burning;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. UPoints out that the current pace of access to clean cooking fuels in many developing countries is not fast enough to meet the related targets in SDG 7 by 2030; urges the EU to incorporate access to clean cooking as a priority within its energy partnerships with developing countries;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Expresses concern over the increasing energy needs among refugees and internally displaced persons living in camps; stresses, in light of the MFF mid- term review, the need to utilize forthcoming increases in the Humanitarian Aid (HUMA) budgetary line to step up financial assistance for ensuring energy provision in camps;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reiterates its commitment towards energy justice; calls for the EU to support developing countries in implementing rights-based renewable energy regimes that effectively contribute to the sustainable development of partner countries; believes that the principle of free, prior and informed consent for affected communities is a pre-condition for a successful green and just energy transition;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 9 – point a a (new)
aa) encourage sustainable land-use planning, including thorough assessments of potential project sites, consideration of environmental and social impacts, and avoidance of areas with high risks of land-use conflicts;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point c
Paragraph 9 – point c
c) define environmental and social criteria that can be incorporated into strong regulatory frameworks and ensure compliance through mechanisms for oversight and grievance;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 9 – point c a (new)
ca) facilitate knowledge sharing and best practices exchange between developing countries and regions that have successfully managed land-use conflicts related to energy projects;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is worried about the impact that water-intensive energy conversion practices, such as hydropower plants, have on agricultural communities, which can lead to loss of water availability for irrigation and increased vulnerability to climate change; stresses the importance of promoting sustainable hydropower projects by conducting comprehensive environmental and social impact assessments, implementing sustainable reservoir management strategies, and ensuring meaningful community participation; is of the opinion that, where possible, priority should be given to renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind energy, that have a lower impact on water resources in order to reduce reliance on water-intensive conversion practices;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that any planning of dams should be evaluated according to five values: equity, efficiency, participatory decision-making, sustainability and accountability; underlines that the EU should work with developing countries to ensure that communities affected by dam projects are adequately compensated and provided with appropriate livelihood restoration measures;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes, with concern, that Africa hosts an increasing number of fossil fuel projects, which risks preventing it from making a timely leap to renewable energy; recalls that a major portion of current oil, gas and coal production in Africa is destined for export, while the continent continues to be plagued by energy poverty; insists on the necessity of prioritizing investment in sustainable renewable energy infrastructure in Africa and ensuring affordable and reliable access to renewable energy sources, particularly in rural and marginalized communities, through the establishment of decentralized energy systems and microgrid networks;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Denounces the double standards whereby private and public financial institutions in developed countries are increasingly making pledges to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, while financing the development and expansion of fossil fuels; underlines that calls for low- and middle-income countries to reduce their dependence on coal will not be effective as long as developed countries continue to rely decisively on other fossil fuels;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Warns against the risk of a new ‘green hydrogen curse’ that would foster developing countries’ reliance on exports and could crowd out investments in the development of local energy markets; is concerned about the lack of required infrastructure, the long-distance transport costs, the limited investments and financial capacities and the risks linked to weak institutions and corruption; calls for the EU to support the development of a green hydrogen value chain only when it can guarantee that it equally benefits exporting countries and their populations; underlines the importance of hydrogen projects in enabling partner countries to enhance their economic diversification and reduce excessive reliance on exports, thus leveraging the profits generated from these projects;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes, with concern, the conflicting use of water associated with mining and the development of large-scale renewable energy plants, such as green hydrogen; reaffirms that access to water is a fundamental human right; underlines the necessity of enhancing water infrastructure in regions where mining and renewable energy plants are prominent by investing in water treatment facilities and water recycling systems;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses the need to regulate water as a resource for green hydrogen production in a sustainable way, including the implementation of regulations that mandate sustainable water sourcing techniques, efficient water usage, and the minimization of wastewater discharge, so that it does not jeopardise local populations’ access to water;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes the proliferation of desalination plants to deal with water scarcity; points out that seawater desalination can have major environmental impacts, in particular on marine biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions; highlights that reducing water use and recycling or reusing treated wastewater is often less expensive than desalination;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Urges the Commission to set up an inclusive governance framework for partnership agreements that meaningfully includes civil society organisations to ensure that the ‘no harm’ principle is respected vis-à-vis local communities and that global human rights standards are met; recalls the need of establishing robust monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track the progress of partnerships in meeting their obligations, while involving civil society organizations in the design and implementation of these mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses that EU financing for renewable energy should be in line with the principles of equity, sustainability and climate justice;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Stresses that access to financing for a just energy transition must be simplified and accelerated for developing countries; insists on considering solutions such as the operationalization of a long- term Debt-For-Climate Swap Mechanism within the framework of the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative and the rechannelling of IMF Special Drawing Rights;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 26 – point a a (new)
aa) coordinate investments among different institutions to maximize impact and avoid duplication of efforts;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 26 – point d a (new)
da) offer technical support and capacity-building initiatives to empower developing countries in implementing clean energy projects effectively;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and, the European External Action Service and the European Investment Bank.