The European Commission has recently sent to Bucharest
\nan analysis of Romania’s National Plan on Energy and Climate Change, 2021-2030.
\nThe analysis has identified several flaws, while the Commission has offered recommendations
\nto that end. Romania’s plan, which has come under close scrutiny as of late,
\ndefines the way Romania will take action in the next decade, especially in the
\nfield of energy, against the backdrop of a global climate crisis. Having
\nexamined several chapters, the Brussels officials criticized the authors’ lack
\nof ambition, since the set targets they have come up with were below the standards recommended by the
\nEuropean Union, even though those standards were a little bit higher as
\ncompared with the standards set in the previous reports. Accordingly, as
\nregards renewable energy, the Commission has found out Romania continued to
\nmaintain a low-level set target, standing at 3.7%, although the country’s
\npotential was bigger than that. Estimates have revealed that by 2030, Romania
\ncould have reached a renewable energy level standing at 34%. Even if the plan
\ndetails the measures targeting the increased importance of green energy in the
\nfields of electricity, heating and transport, the European experts have pointed
\nto the fact that there was no clear-cut quantification of that.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Greenpeace Romania
\nclimate and energy campaign coordinator, Vlad Catuna:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
”Romania’s strategy in the field of
\nenergy and climate basically focuses on fossil fuels and nuclear energy,
\ninstead of focusing on green renewable sources of energy, given that Romania,
\nEurope and the whole world are facing the effects of climate change. And when I
\nsay the effects of climate change, it is not only the melting of glaciers or
\nthe rise of ocean water level that I have in mind, but what I do have in mind
\nare the effects we are beginning to feel also here, in Romania. And at that,
\nwhat we have in mind are the dried-up lakes of Nuntasi and Iezer or southern
\nOltenia, where desertification is in full swing, if we take into account that
\nwe had to cope with storms and heavy downpours in the summer, or the drought we
\nalso had to cope with. For Romania, this year was one of the droughtiest ever
\nto have been reported for this country. Against this backdrop, where we have to
\ncope with such effects, Romania must come up with an ambitious plan, where
\ngreen energy should be prioritized at the expense of dirty energy. In effect,
\nwhen coal is still mentioned in Romania’s part of the energy mix, or when we
\ncome up with projects prioritizing natural gas extraction in the Black Sea,
\nthat means we have a very serious problem.”<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The transition to green energy is not an easy process,
\nnor is it a cheap one. Everybody knows ecology is expensive and proof of that
\nis the price of the bio products on display on shelves in specialized shops.
\nRomania’s great advantage is that the European Union finances these
\ntransformations, moreover, Romania has a good potential, mainly because of its
\ngeographic position. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vlad Catuna:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We have a tremendous potential
\nin terms of wind power, mention is being made of the offshore renewable energy
\npotential of the Black Sea, and we can also speak about a tremendous solar
\nenergy potential in the southern part of the country. You’re quite right when
\nyou say: yes, we need money and the good thing is that the European Commission,
\nthrough its European Green Deal, offers Romania large sums of money for this
\nkind of energy transition. We want it to be one from fossil fuels straight to
\nthe green energy. It will be very expensive and very difficult for us to go
\nthrough an intermediary transition, through a kind of transition, where
\ninitially, we rely on gas instead of passing straight to renewable green
\nenergies. And that, because we ‘ve got time on our hands, we have the necessary
\nresources, we have financing from the European Commission and we have the
\npotential proper to implement such an energy transition. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
With respect to another chapter, that of energy
\nefficiency, the European Commission has found out Romania has enhanced its
\nlevel of ambition regarding the national contribution to the 2030 community
\nobjective, as compared to the plan project, with is most welcome. However, the
\ncontributions to the primary energy consumption and the final energy
\nconsumption are not at all ambitious. As for the positive side, the final plan
\nincludes useful info on buildings, pointing to the intention of going beyond a
\nrenovation rate standing at 3 or 4%. However, according to the European
\nofficials, Romania has not as yet come up with a long-term renovation strategy.
\nThe Commission also mentioned the fact that it encouraged measures regarding
\nthe energy efficiency of the heating networks. Eventually, the plan does not
\noffer sufficient info on the quality of air and the interaction between the
\nquality of air and the atmospheric emissions policy. Yet there are also
\nexamples of good practices, mainly due to the fact that the document includes
\nelements of the European Green Deal for agriculture, mainly through the
\npromotion of ecological farming and the limited use of fertilizers. Greenpeace
\nRomania climate and energy campaign coordinator, Vlad Catuna, sounded upbeat
\nabout all that, stating things will no longer be as they are at present,
\nbecause the new European Climate Law will come up with much more ambitious set
\ntargets. Once implemented, the law will compel the Romanian authorities to step
\nup the energy transition process, to renounce coal and gas and invest in green
\nenergy. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
(Translation by Eugen Nasta)<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
\n
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