Latest news with #NationalEnergyandClimatePlans
Agriland
28-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
EU is ‘closing in' on a 55% reduction in GHG emissions
The European Union (EU) is 'closing in collectively' on a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, according to a new report today (Wednesday, May 28) . The positive update from the EU comes as the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has starkly warned today that Ireland is 'not on track' to meet key emissions targets. The European Commission's assessment of various member states' National Energy and Climate Plans suggests that EU countries have 'substantially improved their plans ' following the commission's recommendations. According to the commission, if member states implement fully existing and planned national measures and EU policies the EU is 'currently on course' to reduce net GHG emissions by around 54% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. It has said that the next phase for member states is to 'focus on turning plans into action to ensure stability and predictability'. 'This involves directing public funds to effectively support transformative investments, encouraging private investment, and coordinating efforts at both regional and European levels. 'The commission will therefore continue to support member states' efforts in implementation and in addressing the remaining gaps,' it added. GHG The European Commission's assessment of various member states' National Energy and Climate Plans reiterates the EU's objection to be 'climate neutral by 2050'. It also outlines that the EU 'must become a hub of innovation, where tomorrow's technologies, services and clean products are developed, manufactured, and marketed' to achieve this. One key area highlighted in the assessment is in relation to GHG emissions and member states' approach to the land sector. 'There is still a gap of about 45-60 MtCO2eq – equivalent to about 100% to 140% of the target of additional removals – compared to the 2030 target under the Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation,' it states. The latest EPA GHG projections for the period 2024-2055 has detailed that emissions from LULUCF in Ireland are projected to increase between 39% to 95% over the period of 2018 to 2030. This is, according to the EPA, because Ireland's forestry is reaching harvesting age and changing 'from a carbon sink to a carbon source'. Land The EU also published an individual assessment of the 23 National Energy and Climate Plans that it has received to date and urged Belgium, Estonia, and Poland to submit their plans 'without delay'. In relation to Ireland, it highlights that the country has set out 'a large array of additional measures in the agricultural sector' in its plan. 'Key to delivering is the provision of low emission animal feeds and low emission fertilisers, many of which are still in early development. 'Moreover, incentives are needed for their uptake. The plan acknowledges the absence of more wide-ranging measures that could deliver substantial emission reductions, such as diversification into less carbon intensive agriculture and a reduction of the large number of (dairy) herds,' the commission stated. However, it also warned that there is 'a significant overlap between agriculture and the LULUCF sector as the vast majority of land is agricultural land'. 'The plan clearly acknowledges the need for both public (Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) , state aid) and private finance to achieve Ireland's LULUCF targets and details the financial commitment for individual measures,' the commission added.
Miami Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
EU says it is on track to meet main 2030 climate and energy goals
May 28 (UPI) -- The European Union said Wednesday that the 27-country bloc made significant progress in the past 18 months toward a target to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and boost the share of energy produced by renewables to at least 42.5%. An audit of the implementation of National Energy and Climate Plans mandated by European Climate Law showed most member states had 'substantially' shown improvement, particularly following new recommendations in December 2023, the European Commission said in a news release. 'The commission's assessment shows that the EU is currently on course to reduce net GHG emissions by around 54% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, if member states implement fully existing and planned national measures and EU policies,' the commission said. The estimate for the proportion of energy that will come from renewables was 41%. 'In the current geopolitical context, this demonstrates that the EU is staying the course on its climate commitments, investing with determination in the clean energy transition and prioritizing the EU's industrial competitiveness and the social dimension,' the statement added. The findings from updated plans submitted by 23 of the 27 member states, as of the middle of last month, mark a turnaround for Brussels, which had been warning that the last set of plans from 2023 indicated 2030 climate and energy goals were in danger of slipping. 'When we play our cards and instruments in a smart manner, we deliver as a continent,' said EU competition and climate chief, Teresa Ribera of Spain. But she warned the bloc must continue to press forward because with climate disasters becoming more frequent unpreparedness 'imposes more cost to our economy and creates more social harm.' Belgium, Poland and Estonia, which have yet to submit their final NECPs, almost a year away from the June 30 deadline, 'must do so without delay,' warned the European Commission, which said it was in the process of reviewing Slovakia's submission received last month. The commission acknowledged issues with other goals in the 2030 targets on carbon absorption and energy efficiency with the bloc failing to establish sufficient forests and other areas that act as carbon sinks to absorb the required 310 millions tons of CO2 a year. Member states were also forecast to miss a target to reduce energy consumption by 11.7% by boosting efficiency with current projections showing usage set to come down by just 8.1%. The European Commission said the next phase would focus on channeling public funds into 'transformative' investments, fostering private investment and coordinating the effort on a EU level but also regionally to meet the goals. The projected cost to achieve all the targets is an eye-watering $644.5 billion, although the commission said that number had to be weighed against the $486 billion EU nations paid for imported fossil fuels in 2023. However, the whole enterprise pivots on member states remaining committed amid mounting public dissatisfaction with the associated disruption and expense amid a cost of living crisis and a growing squeeze on government budgets, particularly from pressure to up the proportion of national income spent on defense. U.S. President Donald Trump has continued an effort begun in his first 2017-2021 term to pressure NATO's European members -- most of which still spend less than 2.5% of GDP on defense -- to pick up more of the tab by raising that figure to 5%. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EU says it is on track to meet main 2030 climate and energy goals
May 28 (UPI) -- The European Union said Wednesday that the 27-country bloc made significant progress in the past 18 months toward a target to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and boost the share of energy produced by renewables to at least 42.5%. An audit of the implementation of National Energy and Climate Plans mandated by European Climate Law showed most member states had "substantially" shown improvement, particularly following new recommendations in December 2023, the European Commission said in a news release. "The commission's assessment shows that the EU is currently on course to reduce net GHG emissions by around 54% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, if member states implement fully existing and planned national measures and EU policies," the commission said. The estimate for the proportion of energy that will come from renewables was 41%. "In the current geopolitical context, this demonstrates that the EU is staying the course on its climate commitments, investing with determination in the clean energy transition and prioritizing the EU's industrial competitiveness and the social dimension," the statement added. The findings from updated plans submitted by 23 of the 27 member states, as of the middle of last month, mark a turnaround for Brussels, which had been warning that the last set of plans from 2023 indicated 2030 climate and energy goals were in danger of slipping. "When we play our cards and instruments in a smart manner, we deliver as a continent," said EU competition and climate chief, Teresa Ribera of Spain. But she warned the bloc must continue to press forward because with climate disasters becoming more frequent unpreparedness "imposes more cost to our economy and creates more social harm." Belgium, Poland and Estonia, which have yet to submit their final NECPs, almost a year away from the June 30 deadline, "must do so without delay," warned the European Commission, which said it was in the process of reviewing Slovakia's submission received last month. The commission acknowledged issues with other goals in the 2030 targets on carbon absorption and energy efficiency with the bloc failing to establish sufficient forests and other areas that act as carbon sinks to absorb the required 310 millions tons of CO2 a year. Member states were also forecast to miss a target to reduce energy consumption by 11.7% by boosting efficiency with current projections showing usage set to come down by just 8.1%. The European Commission said the next phase would focus on channeling public funds into "transformative" investments, fostering private investment and coordinating the effort on a EU level but also regionally to meet the goals. The projected cost to achieve all the targets is an eye-watering $644.5 billion, although the commission said that number had to be weighed against the $486 billion EU nations paid for imported fossil fuels in 2023. However, the whole enterprise pivots on member states remaining committed amid mounting public dissatisfaction with the associated disruption and expense amid a cost of living crisis and a growing squeeze on government budgets, particularly from pressure to up the proportion of national income spent on defense. U.S. President Donald Trump has continued an effort begun in his first 2017-2021 term to pressure NATO's European members -- most of which still spend less than 2.5% of GDP on defense -- to pick up more of the tab by raising that figure to 5%.
UPI
28-05-2025
- Business
- UPI
EU says it is on track to meet main 2030 climate and energy goals
The EU was largely on track to meet targets to slash greenhouse gas emissions by more than half by 2030 and boost the share of energy produced by renewables to 42.5%, the European Commission said Wednesday. File photo by Patrick Seeger/EPA-EFE May 28 (UPI) -- The European Union said Wednesday that the 27-country bloc made significant progress in the past 18 months toward a target to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and boost the share of energy produced by renewables to at least 42.5%. An audit of the implementation of National Energy and Climate Plans mandated by European Climate Law showed most member states had "substantially" shown improvement, particularly following new recommendations in December 2023, the European Commission said in a news release. "The commission's assessment shows that the EU is currently on course to reduce net GHG emissions by around 54% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, if member states implement fully existing and planned national measures and EU policies," the commission said. The estimate for the proportion of energy that will come from renewables was 41%. "In the current geopolitical context, this demonstrates that the EU is staying the course on its climate commitments, investing with determination in the clean energy transition and prioritizing the EU's industrial competitiveness and the social dimension," the statement added. The findings from updated plans submitted by 23 of the 27 member states, as of the middle of last month, mark a turnaround for Brussels, which had been warning that the last set of plans from 2023 indicated 2030 climate and energy goals were in danger of slipping. "When we play our cards and instruments in a smart manner, we deliver as a continent," said EU competition and climate chief, Teresa Ribera of Spain. But she warned the bloc must continue to press forward because with climate disasters becoming more frequent unpreparedness "imposes more cost to our economy and creates more social harm." Belgium, Poland and Estonia, which have yet to submit their final NECPs, almost a year away from the June 30 deadline, "must do so without delay," warned the European Commission, which said it was in the process of reviewing Slovakia's submission received last month. The commission acknowledged issues with other goals in the 2030 targets on carbon absorption and energy efficiency with the bloc failing to establish sufficient forests and other areas that act as carbon sinks to absorb the required 310 millions tons of CO2 a year. Member states were also forecast to miss a target to reduce energy consumption by 11.7% by boosting efficiency with current projections showing usage set to come down by just 8.1%. The European Commission said the next phase would focus on channeling public funds into "transformative" investments, fostering private investment and coordinating the effort on a EU level but also regionally to meet the goals. The projected cost to achieve all the targets is an eye-watering $644.5 billion, although the commission said that number had to be weighed against the $486 billion EU nations paid for imported fossil fuels in 2023. However, the whole enterprise pivots on member states remaining committed amid mounting public dissatisfaction with the associated disruption and expense amid a cost of living crisis and a growing squeeze on government budgets, particularly from pressure to up the proportion of national income spent on defense. U.S. President Donald Trump has continued an effort begun in his first 2017-2021 term to pressure NATO's European members -- most of which still spend less than 2.5% of GDP on defense -- to pick up more of the tab by raising that figure to 5%.
