Wind energy should have a “lead role” in a new green European economy, EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard told Wind Directions recently.

She also said that much higher shares of electricity can come from renewables, but newer and smarter infrastructure needs to be built.

Commenting on the failure of the COP-15 summit to provide a binding agreement on tackling climate change, Hedegaard said that although the non-binding Copenhagen Accord “falls well short of the EU's ambition”, the number of countries signing up shows a determination to step up their efforts on climate change.

The full interview can be read in June’s Wind Directions.

By Sarah Azau