Eastern EU countries will make or break the bloc’s 2030 renewables goal

(EurActiv, 18 May 2023) The EU’s renewable energy target for 2030 is at risk due to low ambition in Central and Eastern European countries. The upcoming revision of National Energy and Climate Plans is a crucial opportunity to remedy this, write Pawel Czyzak and Rebekka Popp.

Dr Pawel Czyzak is senior analyst at energy think tank Ember. Rebekka Popp is policy advisor at climate think tank E3G.

The EU has set itself a new renewables target for 2030 and wants to reach a share of at least 42.5% and ideally 45% renewables in its energy consumption.

Commission President von der Leyen recently made clear that the Union strives for a net-zero power sector by 2040.

However, it will be near-impossible to meet or even exceed this new ambition without a strong green energy push in Central and Eastern Europe.

A key opportunity to enshrine higher national commitments on wind and solar is the upcoming revision of National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) due in June.

Current renewables targets are very low with Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czechia and Poland accounting for the lowest targets among all EU countries in their current NECPs.

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EurActiv, 18 May 2023: Eastern EU countries will make or break the bloc’s 2030 renewables goal