歐盟委員會為了對抗全球暖化，日前發布多項擴充現行溫室氣體排放交易制度的提案，並極力推廣在交易制度於2012年實施期限屆滿時，能大幅提升再生能源的使用量。
現行制度允許各產業間二氧化碳排放量的交易，包括發電廠、燃燒廠、煉油廠、焦碳廠、鋼鐵冶煉廠及水泥、玻璃、石灰、磚塊、陶製品工廠等。但現在，歐盟委員會提案欲將交易的產業範圍及溫室氣體種類擴大，將包含在京都議定書及歐盟管制範圍內之溫室氣體提高到原先的6種以上。
新增至交易制度中的溫室氣體包括，製造石化燃料、氨、鋁所釋放出的二氧化碳，還有硝酸(nitric acid)、己二酸(adipic acid)及乙醛酸(glyoxylic acid)製造過程中產生之氮氧化物(nitrous oxide)。此外，鋁製業者中全氟碳化物(PFCs)的排放額度，以及溫室氣體捕捉、運輸並予以地質封存之額度也都將列入可交易範圍內。
此項新提案主要是希望能助歐盟一臂之力，使其達到2007年3月歐盟理事會所協議的溫室氣體減量目標：即以1990年之排放量為基準，期望能在2020年之前降低至少20%。一旦其他工業國家承諾在京都議定書於2012年屆滿時，仍願意貢獻心力於全球性的後京都協議制定，溫室氣體減量目標將提升至30%。
環境執委主席狄瑪斯(Stavros Dimas)認為30%的減量目標非常重要，他表示：「為了讓溫室氣體排放量呈現遞減趨勢，開發中國家就必須減少30%排放量，而且我們也會積極在峇里島舉辦的國際會議中迫切要求將減量目標設為30%。」
倘若27個歐盟國及歐洲議會通過新提案，全歐盟將統一實施排放額度上限標準，來替代原先27國現行之交易系統。
此外，歐盟委員會也提出一項名為「指令(directive)」的新政策，制定再生能源及能源效率標準的各項法規，並正式決定在2020年前以減少20%二氧化碳排放量為目標，同時提升能源效率20%，並讓再生能源消耗量達到全歐盟能源消耗總額20%。另外，該政策也期望屆時生物燃料使用比例能佔汽車燃料10%，同時，為了讓乙醇和生化柴油等生物燃料能永續發展，也制定了各項永續法規。
由於該項新再生能源政策將影響到電力、暖氣、冷氣暨輸送三個經濟層面，面對這樣的情況，歐盟會員國可自行斟酌，在三個經濟層面中做出分配取捨，找出最適合的方法，以達成再生能源使用目標。
The European Commission has released a set of proposals to expand the current greenhouse gas Emission Trading System to combat global warming and promote renewable energy in the period beyond 2012, when the present trading period ends.
Currently the system allows trading in emissions of carbon dioxide and covers power stations and other combustion plants, oil refineries, coke ovens, iron and steel plants and factories making cement, glass, lime, bricks and ceramics.
Carbon dioxide emissions from petrochemicals, ammonia and aluminium will be included in the expanded trading system, as will emissions of nitrous oxide, N2O, from the production of nitric, adipic and glyoxylic acid. Emissions allowances of perfluorocarbons from the aluminium sector will also be traded.
The capture, transport and geological storage of all greenhouse gas emissions will also be covered.
The new proposals are introduced to help the European Union achieve its greenhouse gas reduction target agreed at the March 2007 meeting of the European Council of Ministers.
At that meeting, the EU adopted an emissions reduction target of at least 20 percent by 2020 compared with 1990 levels.
The reductions target would be raised to 30 percent as long as other industrialized countries commit to comparable efforts in the framework of a global agreement to combat climate change after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas called the 30 percent cut in emissions "crucial."
"It is a 30 percent cut by developed countries that is needed to get global emissions onto a downward track - and it is a 30 percent cut that we will continue to press for in the international negotiations launched at Bali," he said.
Under the new proposals, if all 27 European Union member states and the European Parliament agree, there will be one EU-wide cap on the number of emission allowances instead of the current system of 27 national caps.
At the same time the Commission has proposed a new law, called a directive, setting standards for renewable energy and energy efficiency, and formalizing the 20 percent greenhouse gas emissions target by 2020.
The directive includes a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency and a 20 percent share of renewables in overall EU energy consumption by 2020. In addition, the law requires a 10 percent biofuel component in vehicle fuel by 2020 and sets sustainability standards for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.
The renewable energy law affects three economic sectors - electricity, heating and cooling and transport. It is up to the member states to decide on the mix of contributions from these sectors to reach their national targets, choosing the means that best suits their national circumstances.
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