BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 12. European Union (EU) Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson at a press conference on 11 September on the state of the Energy Union for 2024 urged EU countries to submit their missing national climate plans (NDCs), the transcript of the press conference on the EU's official website said, Trend reports.
“I urge EU member states to submit their missing national energy and climate plans. To date, we have received only ten final plans (there are 27 countries in the EU). Indeed, we are well beyond the deadline. These plans are needed to translate commitments into action and give confidence to investors,” Simson emphasized.
According to her, the European Union's fossil fuel imports remain excessive.
“Europe needs to rely more on domestically produced clean energy and import less fossil fuels to ensure competitiveness, security of supply, EU energy sovereignty, and economic sustainability,” the Commissioner noted.
Simson believes that the EU is ready to hit the ground running in its quest for climate neutrality, all while keeping its industrial edge sharp as a tack.
“Over the last five years, we have agreed on new and higher targets for renewable energy sources (RES) and energy efficiency. We have reformed energy markets and developed the world's most advanced concepts for a hydrogen economy and methane emission reductions. Following two record years of renewable energy deployment, wind and solar power reached new highs in the first half of 2024, overtaking fossil fuels in our electricity mix for the first time,” Simson stated.
She recalled that during COP28 in Dubai in December, the EU joined the Global Commitment to triple renewable energy capacity and double the rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
“Green investment has reached record levels due to national recovery and resilience plans. By mid-June 2024, 184 billion euros of the 240 billion euros allocated under national recovery and sustainability plans had gone to energy-related reforms and investments,” Simson pointed out.
She added that the EU has done a lot within the mandate to bring down electricity prices from the 2022 peak, but now we need to address the structural issues.
“I believe the main way forward is to increase the rate of renewables deployment further. We are seeing in 2024 that the rate of renewable energy commissioning is not growing as fast as it should. We need another strong push to meet the 2030 targets we have agreed,” Simson continued.
To note, countries have until February 2025 to submit climate action NDCs..
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