Call for authors | Factsheets: How EU renewables and energy savings targets pay off | Heinrich Böll Stiftung

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue

Call for authors

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue office in Brussels is commissioning factsheets to illustrate the socio-economic benefits of the EU’s renewable energy and energy savings targets.Proposals should be submitted by Wednesday 26 August 2026 EOB.

Deliverable: Write a series of factsheets that illustrates the socio-economic benefits of the EU’s renewable energy and energy savings targets achieved by 2025 and achievable through the continuation of a pathway towards an EU energy system dominated by renewables and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% by 2040
Audience: EU policymakers and media, as well as multiplicators in NGOs, think tanks, industry that search compelling arguments, facts and figures for their advocacy in favour of ambitious technology-specific energy targets in 2040
Format: At least six factsheets of up to ca. 1,200 words (4 pages in A4 format) maximum, including at least two charts or infographics that illustrate key findings; Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU will take care of graphic design and publication in its corporate design
Timeline: Please send your response to this call by Wednesday, 26 August 2026 EOB; a final draft taking into account feedback from Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU is to be handed over by Friday, 6 November 2026
Budget: Only offers of up to 25 000 € including VAT, excluding costs for layout, graphic design and proofreading, will be considered for this work

Context of the publication

EU citizens and businesses are under pressure because of a second fossil fuel price crisis within five years. Meanwhile, the EU’s experiences the weaponisation of its dependency on fossil fuel imports. The second von der Leyen Commission has identified clean and affordable energy supply as key for resilience and competitiveness. These are at the centre of its flagship initiatives such as the Clean Industrial Deal and the Affordable Energy Action Plan.

As a signatory party of the Paris Agreement, the EU has set its bloc-wide 2040 greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 90% compared to 1990. The previous von der Leyen Commission rolled out a consistent package of legislative initiatives and technology-specific renewables and energy savings targets to achieve the 55% emission reduction by 2030 (‘Fit for 55 package’). However, the 2040 target architecture is still under discussion. For the second half of 2026, the European Commission has announced a ‘setting-up of the energy efficiency framework’ as well as of its renewable energy framework, together with a review of the Energy Union governance.

Instead of continuing its technology-specific approach from the ‘Fit for 90’ package, the EU could switch to a ‘technology-neutral’ low carbon objective or a ‘clean energy target’ that would make nuclear energy accountable. Some Member States and lawmakers in the European Parliament argue in favour of removing (binding) objectives in order to ‘simplify’ policies and monitoring. Such deregulation could undermine the level of ambition of the EU’s climate and energy policy. Without technology-specific targets for increasing the share of renewables and for reducing energy consumption, industries miss investment security. The success of the EU’s energy transition would be put at risk.

Aim of the publication

Illustrate what has been achieved through 2020 targets and 2030 targets already thanks to the long-standing reliable and stable technology-specific support strategy for renewables and energy efficiency in the EU: investment security for businesses, access to low-cost electricity and heat, relief from increasing energy costs for households, and many more benefits
Make a strong case for an ambitious 2040 target architecture with dedicated technology-specific and measurable binding policy objectives for renewables and energy savings
Provide potential multiplicators in NGOs, think tanks and industry with compelling arguments, facts and figures for their advocacy in favour of ambitious technology-specific energy targets in 2040

Key elements of the publication

The author edits a series of at least six stand-alone factsheets that substantiate key arguments with a compilation of key facts and figures, either through desktop research or own calculations. Each factsheet illustrates claims about the socio-economic benefits of the EU’s renewables and energy savings targets in a scientifically robust and transparent way using the most recent statistical data.

The factsheets should show figures on the aggregate EU level. More granular country-specific data is welcome but not mandatory. Sources and references including URLs must be listed in the endnotes of each factsheet.

The author should pay attention in particular to writing the factsheets in an accessible style. The factsheets ideally explain the socio-economic benefits and their political implications in a way that is easy to understand, also for a broader non-expert EU audience.

For examples, see the series of Böll EU Briefs, e.g. no. 01/2026 ‘Small modular reactors – smaller regulation?’ (https://eu.boell.org/en/small-modular-reactors) and our editorial guidelines (https://eu.boell.org/en/editorial-guidelines).

Key topics of the publication

The series of factsheets should cover at least parts of the following topics. Proposals for additional and/or alternative topics and factsheets are welcome.

Topic 1: EU renewables and energy savings targets reduce the costs of import dependency

Reduction of the fossil fuel import costs and of the losses of purchase power of EU households
Avoided costs of fossil fuel combustion and investments into fossil fuel generation
Diversification of supply and reduction of energy costs through increasing use of domestic renewable energy sources

Topic 2: Investment costs triggered by EU renewables and energy savings targets generate much higher economic benefits

Definition of the overall increase of societal welfare and GDP growth initiated by the additional investment costs caused by policy measures
Generation of positive effects on the public budget from investments into the EU’s energy transition despite the initial costs of policy measures
Comparison of losses from damages caused by climate change vs. a scenario reducing greenhouse gas emissions by implementing ambitious renewables and energy savings targets (cost of inaction)

Topic 3: EU renewables and energy savings targets help reducing households’ cost of living

Documentation of households’ cost savings generated by the growth of renewable energy shares, energy efficiency and energy savings measures
Explanation of price effects of variable renewable electricity on wholesale electricity prices, in particular in view of price hikes and the recent fossil fuel price crises
Illustration of cost savings potentials from building renovation and renewable heating in the residential buildings sector, as well as in the transport sector (use of renewable electricity and potentially biofuels)

Topic 4: EU renewables and energy savings targets protect peoples’ health

Protection of natural resources and biodiversity against pollution through ‘nature positive renewables’
Avoided premature mortality, avoided life years lost due to air pollutants
Avoided winter mortality and morbidity, building renovation as protection against heat waves

Topic 5: EU renewables and energy savings targets push local job and wealth creation

Employment effects from the growth of different renewable energy technologies
Employment effects of energy efficiency and energy savings measures
Local value added (profits of local companies, local employment and local tax revenues) related to energy transition, growth potential of poorer, rural and peripheral regions thanks to energy transition

Topic 6: EU renewable energy targets can build on an abundant potential of affordable domestic energy

Explanation and illustration of different domestic renewable energy potentials and their space needs
Achieved cost reduction and potential of future cost reductions of different renewable energy technologies
Demonstration of the maturity and availability of renewable energy technologies for electricity, heating, transport and industry, compared to limited growth and/or shrinking relevance of fossil fuels and nuclear energy in the EU’s overall energy mix

How to apply for this call

The ideal applicant to this call for authors has a proven track record in the field of evaluating the costs and benefits of EU climate and energy policies. Please submit by Wednesday, 26 August 2026 EOB in one single pdf document to Jörg Mühlenhoff (Joerg.Muehlenhoff [at] eu.boell.org):

A budget proposal based on daily rates, excluding layout and proofreading
Mention the most important data sources that you plan to use and briefly explain methodologies for calculating costs and benefits, if relevant
The CVs of the (main) author(s)
Potential references (previous relevant projects and publications)

We welcome applications from consortia of several organisations/authors.

In parallel to the editing of the new series of factsheets, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU | Global Dialogue will adapt and translate from German the following four existing “Böll Daten” factsheets. When editing the above-mentioned factsheets, overlapping and redundant content ideally should be limited: