EU Energy Commissioner urges missing climate plans from member states

European Union Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson called on EU countries to submit their missing national climate plans (NDCs) during a press conference on the state of the Energy Union 2024, Azernews reports, citing the official European Union website.

"I urge EU countries to submit their missing national energy and climate plans. To date, we have received only 10 final plans out of 27 EU countries. We are long past the deadline. These plans are essential to fulfil commitments and build investor confidence," Simson emphasised.

She noted that the EU still imports a large amount of fossil fuels.

"Europe needs to use clean energy and reduce fossil fuel imports to ensure competitiveness, supply security, energy sovereignty, and economic stability," the European Commissioner said.

Simson believes that the EU is prepared to achieve its climate neutrality goals while maintaining industrial competitiveness.

"In the last 5 years, we have set new and higher goals for renewable energy sources (RES) and energy efficiency. We have reformed energy markets, developed advanced hydrogen economy concepts, and reduced methane emissions. In the first half of 2024, wind and solar power set new records, and for the first time, electricity from renewables surpassed that from fossil fuels," Simson said.

She made a reminder that at COP28 in Dubai last December, the EU committed to increasing its energy capacity by three times and improving energy efficiency by two times by 2030.

"Green investments have reached a record level through national recovery and resilience plans. By mid-June 2024, 184 billion euros of the 240 billion euros allocated for these plans have been spent on energy-related reforms and investments," Simson noted.

She acknowledged that significant progress was made in reducing electricity prices in the EU in 2022, but structural issues remain.

"The main strategy is to accelerate the implementation of PES. In 2024, the pace of PES deployment has not increased as much as expected. We need a stronger incentive to meet the 2030 targets," Simson added.

It should be noted that countries worldwide must submit their NDCs on climate measures by February 2025.