The European Green Deal is a flagship initiative of the European Commission aimed at achieving a sustainable future through a clean energy transition. The report proposes a sustainability framework for evaluating energy technologies, inspired by the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework. It supports the Clean Energy Technology Observatory in monitoring research and innovation activities for clean energy technologies. The background concepts underlying the sustainability framework are discussed, including sustainability principles, life cycle assessment, sustainable innovation, and energy-specific concepts. The proposed sustainability framework includes three dimensions: security, environmental sustainability, and social sustainability. Energy security encompasses economic aspects, such as stable energy supply, accessibility of resources, and trade considerations. Environmental sustainability is based on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology and aligned with the SSbD framework. The social sustainability dimension considers impacts on workers, local communities, value chain actors and society, according to the Social Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The framework supports the European Union's priority on energy security in the context of achieving clean energy transition and becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

MANCINI Lucia;  LECCISI Enrica;  PATINHA CALDEIRA Carla;  SALA Serenella; 

2023-11-03

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC135255

978-92-68-08664-3 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

EUR 31714 EN,    OP KJ-NA-31-714-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC135255,   

10.2760/11063 (online),