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EU countries still have a chance to improve their climate plans

30.05.2019

Net-zero emissions economies will not come about by chance: dedicated focus and planning, with a clear eye to the end goal, will be needed. National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) represent an opportunity for the EU Member States to chart their next steps on the road to a climate-secure future, and to reap the economic and social benefits which come with that. Clear and robust NECPs can serve as an advertisement to large and small investors and engage stakeholders in implementation, as well as exposing where additional efforts will be needed. However, the draft plans presented by governments at the start of 2019 are in acute need of improvement.

These are the findings of a new report conducted by Ecologic Institute and Climact and commissioned by the European Climate Foundation. It is part of the Net-Zero 2050 series, an initiative of the ECF with contributions from a consortium of experts and organisations.

Assessing The Draft National Energy And Climate Plans Box Image

This report assesses all the Member States’ draft integrated National Climate and Energy Plans submitted to the European Commission and scores them according to

  • The level of ambition,
  • The level of detail of the policies and measures described,
  • The quality and inclusiveness of the drafting process.

According to the ranking, Spain and France lead the way with 52% and 47%, respectively, followed by Greece (44%) and Sweden (43%). The Slovenian climate plan comes in last with a score of 3%, with Slovakia (12%) and Germany (12%) slightly ahead. The average score for the EU bloc is 29%.

  • About the Net-Zero 2050 initiative

    The Net-Zero 2050 is a new initiative of the European Climate Foundation with contributions from a consortium of experts and organisations funded by the ECF.

    The objective of Net-Zero 2050 is to start building a vision and evidence base for the transition to net-zero emission societies in Europe and beyond, by midcentury at the latest. The Paris Agreement commits us to making this transition, and long-term strategic planning shows that many of the decisions and actions needed to get us on track must be taken without delay. Reports in the series seek to enhance understanding of the implications and opportunities of moving to climate neutrality across the power, industry, buildings, transport, agriculture, Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sectors; to shed light on some of the near-term choices and actions needed to reach this goal, and to provide a basis for discussion and engagement with stakeholders and policy-makers.

    With acknowledgement of the source, reproduction of all or part of the publication is authorised, except for commercial purposes.

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