The initial draft of the European Commission working paper is finally here, having been recently ratified in Brussels. And while the finer points that are to be rolled-out are yet to be determined (following the Copenhagen and Cancun meetings), the broad brushstrokes are in place. Here we present an exclusive Q&A from the Commission’s Ad Hoc Advisory Group.
What is a Roadmap?
Some members of the Group considered the term “Roadmap” as overused, with various organisations giving the term very different meanings. The importance of considering a range of possible transition paths to decarbonisation has the corollary that there is no one single “Roadmap”, but rather many.
This should be reflected in the various scenarios that the Commission is investigating, and in the ways in which they are presented. The central role of deep technical change was emphasised by members, though there was disagreement about the extent that the deployable technological options over the next four decades were largely already known and determined, or whether there were likely to be major changes within the Roadmap period.
Particular emphasis was placed on the implications of adequate transmission and distribution investment, smart meters, and super grids and the implications of a more active role for the demand side. For the period to 2030, much more is already known, and hence whilst the Roadmap is to 2050, in practice the transition to 2030 can be given much more definition than the subsequent decades.
What is the policy context for the Roadmap?
There are three main pillars to the existing policy framework on which the
Roadmap must build:
