BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.2
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The level of the EU’s climate and energy ambitions and the speed with which they must be met means that they cannot realistically nor cost-effectively be met solely through renewable forms of energy, Trend reports with reference to Eurogas, an association representing the European gas wholesale, retail and distribution sectors in relation to relevant EU institutions.
“The gas decarbonisation package must consider the role of natural gas as an enabler of the transition. Switching from coal and oil to gas in space heating, transport (in particular through LNG and CNG) and industry can deliver significant emissions reductions from CO2 and other pollutants,” notes the association.
As part of the European Green Deal, with the European Climate Law, the EU has set itself a binding target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This requires current greenhouse gas emission levels to drop substantially in the next decades. As an intermediate step towards climate neutrality, the EU has raised its 2030 climate ambition, committing to cutting emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030.
The EU is working on the revision of its climate, energy and transport-related legislation under the so-called 'Fit for 55 package' in order to align current laws with the 2030 and 2050 ambitions. A number of new proposals are also included in the package.
Eurogas supports the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality objective and the target of reducing GHG emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030. “Provided that incentives are put in place, EU gas demand can be fully decarbonised already before 2050. A decarbonisation pathway relying solely on electrification based on variable renewable power generation cannot deliver a successful transition. A balanced approach is necessary to ensure an environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable just energy transition that guarantees security of energy supply. This needs to be achieved in a timeframe that is compatible with the Paris Agreement.”
The European Commission Climate Target Plan Impact Assessment and the Eurogas pathway study by DNV confirm that gaseous energy will be an essential pillar, according to the association. “Both assessments agree that gaseous energy will make up between 20 percent-30 percent of EU energy consumption in 2050. The gas sector also needs to transform. Gas consumption will have to decarbonise through growing shares of renewable, decarbonised, and low-carbon gases and use of carbon capture storage and utilisation.”
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