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New EU eco-laws offer opportunity and risk

The European commission's new green legislation on climate change and renewable energy offers significant opportunities for EU utilities, according to a new report.

Consulting service firm The Brattle Group and Trilemma UK, which advises on the EU energy market, said the targets of saving energy by a fifth, increase the share of renewable energy to 20 per cent and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least the same figure by 2020 represented a step change in the energy market.

But the report does note the "huge uncertainties" in hitting these targets, which make investment decisions difficult and risky.

Simon Skillings, co-author of the report and director of Trilemma UK, said: "The European energy market is on the cusp of a significant change and this will inevitably create corporate winners and losers.

"Smart strategic thinking can ensure that organisations take maximum advantage of the opportunities that will arise.¿

The report Managing the Risks of Climate Policy: Smart Strategy for a Low Carbon World can be read at www.brattle.com or www.trilemma-uk.co.uk.

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