Editor's note
International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics
Tuesday, 19.03.2024, 10:14
Modern clean energy for the Baltics
The end of this year is witnessing a number of the European Commission’s
initiatives focusing the EU member states on taking urgent measures for
the transition to “clean energy” sources in national economies within next 12
years, i.e. up to 2030.
The EU energy policy –among other things- has been
concentrated on reducing harmful emissions, i.e. making emission reductions of around 60% by 2050, as a contribution to
the Paris Agreement's temperature goals.
It’s important, of course, but not sufficient enough: the member states have to
go implement a “climate neutral Europe” concept.
Climate change is already affecting European region: e.g. extreme heat waves in four of
the last five years; recent weather-related disasters cost the EU states about
€ 283 bn in economic damages, according to Eurostat.
Towards climate neutrality
Major steps towards climate
neutrality could have definite economic advantages: thus, Baltic States’
national strategies for necessary economic
and societal transformation are
deemed to involve several development sectors, which could lead to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The EU has identified seven strategic building blocks/scenarios that can pave the way towards a climate neutral economy:
the energy sector is central in the proper path as it accounts for over 75% of
the EU's greenhouse gas emissions.
See more on scenarios in:
http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/modern_eu/?doc=145570&ins_print
For instance, by maximising the deployment of renewables and making them the
backbone of the states’ power system, the states can have over 80% of electricity coming from
renewables by 2050. These efforts will have to be prioritized as they will
pay off and bring down fossil fuel
imports in the Baltics and the whole EU from 55% to 20%. That will save about €
2-3 trillion after 2030.
Therefore, instead of paying third countries for fossil energy
resources, the states have to invest
into modern, cleaner industry, which after all provides high quality employment.
The Baltic States have to step up renovation of residential and office buildings and heat them with renewable energy,
instead of polluting air with fossil fuels. Thus the priority in Latvia, for
example, would be to turn all households’ stoves from gas
to electricity; it’s going to be a costly but necessary endeavor.
Another aspect in the renewable electricity is a combination of green
batteries and other alternative fuels for powering bikes, buses, cars and/or trains. This will both bring people
cleaner air and facilitate industrial development.
The Baltics’ industry has to be de-carbonised; and again, it will require investment into more electrification, use of hydrogen, biomass and
renewable synthetic fuels.
All of these measures will need necessary changes in the Baltics’ infrastructure, for instance in smart
electricity and data grids, smart charging, including vehicle-to-grid
technology.
However, the “green electricity” efforts would have a
positive social effect: suffice it to say that “green jobs” in the EU-27, according to the Commission, would amount to 4
million. For some economy sectors, the transition can be difficult and the
states would need to invest
massively into up-skilling.
The economy’s modernisation: a priority
The key to success it that the Baltic States have to
priorotise major transformations in all national economic sectors – in industry,
transport , energy and agriculture with
adequate innovation, finances, circular economy, trade and manufacturing.
With the idea of integrating various sectors into “modern
economy and energy”, the states have to break walls among sectors during
this transformation towards climate neutrality.
This will require significant additional investment, in the Commission’s estimation it
would be about € 175 to 290 bn per
year in order to achieve a net European zero greenhouse gas economy.
However, the efforts will bring same savings too: the states
will be saving money on
fossil fuel imports, energy efficiency, health expenditure from air pollution
or the circular economy.
Moreover, the EU states have already proven that it was possible to provide growth and cut emissions at the same time: e.g. from 1990 to 2017, energy use was reduced in
the EU by 2%, greenhouse gas emissions by 22%, while the EU’s GDP grew by 58%.
Besides, the global economy is already transforming in the
“green direction”; so the Baltic States would join the club by having strategies which would put them among the
leaders in innovation.
One thing is already clear: the future progress both in Europe
and the Baltic States needs long-term
planning oriented to modern energy policies, in general, and to efficient use
of electricity, in particular.
Reference: Long-term
strategy: press conference by Maroš Šefčovič in:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-18-6604_en.htm?locale=en/28.xi.2018.