Cities, communities and citizens need to participate and take ownership of renewable energy development and production – that is one of the conclusions that have been made at a workshop in Brussels on 16 June as part of the EU Sustainable Energy Week's policy conference.

Energy efficiency and a move from fossil fuels are both compatible with growth, there is a 3% growth in the world economy last year while global energy emissions remained flat. Better enforcement of EU legislation and consensus on binding targets are key drivers of more sustainable energy use.

Renewables will continue to play a key role in helping the EU meet its energy needs beyond 2020. EU countries have already agreed on a new renewable energy target of at least 27% of final energy consumption in the EU as a whole by 2030. So the targets for 2030 are: 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions, at least a 27% share of renewable energy consumption, and at least 27% energy savings.