Energy-sector emissions have fallen by 20% throughout the EU because the final European parliamentary election in 2019, in response to Carbon Temporary evaluation.
Between 6-9 June, round 360 million folks throughout the EU will vote for representatives from nationwide events to sit down within the European Parliament.
The grouping or coalition with essentially the most seats will assist to form the management of the following European Fee. The general composition of parliament may also affect the bloc’s priorities between 2024-2029.
Local weather change and vitality as soon as once more characteristic prominently within the manifestos of the most important events, with mounting strain to safe vitality provides within the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drawing explicit focus.
Core to it is a transition to decarbonised home vitality. Carbon Temporary’s evaluation exhibits that the comparatively small nations of Portugal, Latvia and Finland have led the way in which because the final EU election, with the most important proportion drop in power-sector emissions between 2019 and 2023.
Malta and the Netherlands have led in rising their renewables shares, with the Netherlands additionally seeing the most important absolute enhance in renewable era.
In the meantime, fossil-fuel era fell in all however three international locations when evaluating 2019 and 2023.
Different key findings from the evaluation embrace:
- All nationwide energy techniques throughout the EU are cleaner than in 2019, with EU renewables share rising from 34% in 2019 to 44% in 2023.
- Germany noticed the most important fall in power-sector emissions in absolute phrases because the final EU emissions.
- There have been simply three EU international locations the place fossil gas use has elevated since 2019 – Malta, Croatia and Lithuania.
- The Czech Republic stays the largest per-capita emitter within the EU, however per-capita emissions fell in all however three international locations.
- Total, all the EU’s energy techniques have grow to be cleaner since 2019, with essentially the most carbon-intensive grid (Poland) making the fourth most progress in absolute phrases.
- Malta and the Netherlands have elevated their renewables share by greater than 150% relative to 2019.
- Spain added essentially the most photo voltaic era in absolute phrases. Poland elevated its photo voltaic era by greater than 1,500%, rising era by 12TWh.
On this evaluation, Carbon Temporary seems at how the electrical energy sector has modified because the final election.
All the EU’s energy techniques cleaner than 2019
Each nationwide energy system throughout the EU has grow to be cleaner because the final European Parliamentary election in 2019, Carbon Temporary evaluation exhibits.
Finland led the way in which by way of lowering grid depth – the measure of how clear the electrical energy inside nationwide grids is – halving its depth between 2019 and 2023 to grow to be the third cleanest within the EU, behind France and Sweden.
In absolute phrases, Greece lowered its grid depth essentially the most since 2019, Carbon Temporary exhibits. The nation hit a brand new document excessive degree of fresh vitality era, with energy grid operator IPTO saying that renewables and hydroelectric crops accounted for 57% of the nation’ vitality in 2023.
Germany noticed the most important fall in power-sector emissions in absolute phrases – particularly, the general quantity of CO2 emissions produced. Like Greece, the nation had a “landmark” 2023 for renewable era, in response to thinktank Ember.
Carbon Temporary evaluation exhibits that power-sector emissions in Germany fell by 43.23m tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2), or 18.4%, of 2019 values by 2023.
Regardless of this vital drop, the nation’s energy sector continues to be essentially the most polluting of all EU international locations, accountable for 29.3% of EU power-sector emissions. This locations it far forward of Poland, the second largest polluter, which is accountable for 17% of emissions.
Germany has one of many largest populations in Europe and its vitality demand sits at 514TWh (19% of EU whole). When taking a look at per-capita emissions (as proven under), the nation sits fourth within the EU for emissions, seeing a discount of 0.51tCO2 in 2023 in contrast with 2019.
Portugal, Latvia and Finland decarbonised their energy sectors essentially the most relative to 2019, evaluation exhibits.
Portugal noticed renewables provide 61% of its electrical energy consumption in 2023, in response to the nation’s grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais. This totaled 31.2TWh – essentially the most it has ever recorded. This included a interval in November the place the nation ran on simply renewables for six days in a row.
Carbon Temporary’s evaluation of Ember knowledge positioned the 2023 determine even excessive, with 73% of electrical energy from renewable sources.
As proven within the chart under, there have been simply three EU international locations the place power-sector emissions have elevated since 2019 – Malta, Croatia and Lithuania. These international locations are among the smallest in Europe, collectively accounting for lower than 1% of whole EU energy era in 2023.
Malta elevated its power-sector emissions by 0.11MtCO2, or 10.3%, of 2019 emissions. As an island nation, Malta’s vitality system continues to be closely dominated by imported oil and gasoline, making up practically 90% of energy era. (Malta has among the lowest per-capita emissions in Europe, with 5.3 tonnes CO2 equal (tCO2e) per inhabitant in 2019, properly under the EU common of 8.4tCO2e.)
Croatia, the place emissions elevated by 0.4MtCO2 or 13%, is equally reliant on fossil fuels, with coal nonetheless dominating its energy sector. Whereas energy demand has remained steady lately, web imports of electrical energy have dropped probably resulting from larger electrical energy costs in neighbouring international locations.
Though renewable era offset most of this, it did result in a small leap in fossil gas use of ~1TWh.
Lithuania noticed emissions enhance by 0.32MtCO2, from 0.57MtCO2 in 2019 to 0.89MtCO2 in 2023, Carbon Temporary evaluation exhibits. The nation is at present closely reliant on electrical energy imports, after the closure of its solely nuclear energy plant in 2010 modified it from a web exporter to a web importer.
Chris Rosslowe, senior vitality and local weather knowledge analyst at Ember, tells Carbon Temporary:
“Traits in era in Lithuania don’t inform you as a lot as in different international locations because it imports most of its electrical energy since shutting down nuclear energy in 2010. Import dependence is slowly decreasing although – from ~75% in 2019 to ~55% in 2023 – and, like Croatia, renewables are rising sooner than fossils.”
It’s present process a very key interval of transition. Lithuania’s electrical energy grid at present operates synchronously with the Russia-Belarus energy system, however it’s planning to de-synch by 2025 and as an alternative run with the continental Europe grid.
Moreover, it’s among the many international locations which can be seeing the quickest enlargement of wind era. It is usually focusing on halving its imports and producing 70% of its electrical energy from home sources by 2030, because it pushes for elevated vitality sovereignty and safety.
Rosselowe notes that Malta, Croatia and Lithuania are all anticipated to cut back their dependence on fossil fuels within the coming years, offset largely by rising renewables.
Total, the Czech Republic stays the largest per-capita emitter within the EU, as proven within the chart under. Between 2019 and 2023, emissions within the nation did drop from 4tCO2 to three.2tCO2, nevertheless it nonetheless sits 0.9tCO2 above the second highest per-capita emitter Cyprus (3.1tCO2).
The three international locations that noticed a rise in per-capita emissions match these the place there was a rise in fossil gas era – Malta, Croatia and Lithuania.
Renewable era grows in all however one nation
Between 2019 and 2023, the share of renewable era within the EU elevated in all however one nation, in response to Carbon Temporary evaluation.
Italy noticed renewable era fall from 115.83 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2019 to 114.8TWh in 2023. This was broadly because of the impression of droughts within the nation affecting hydropower era, which hit in 2022, however had a continued impression in 2023.
This was a wider dynamic seen globally, which stored the world from hitting peak electrical energy era emissions in 2023.
Slovakia, in the meantime, was the one nation to see a dip in its share of renewable vitality when evaluating 2019 and 2023. This was minor, falling simply 0.65% from 23.57% to 22.92%. The nation has one of many smallest vitality calls for in Europe and, like Italy, noticed a drop in hydro pushed by droughts in 2022.
Malta and the Netherlands noticed their share of renewables enhance by greater than 150% in 2023 relative to 2019, Carbon Temporary evaluation exhibits.
The Netherlands elevated its absolute share of renewable era by near 30% since 2019, as proven within the chart under. The nation seeing the most important absolute enhance in renewable era, carefully adopted by Spain.
Almost half the electrical energy produced within the Netherlands is now renewable, in response to the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics.
This was predominantly wind era, with the nation including extra wind energy than some other nation within the EU between 2019 and 2023, each comparatively and in absolute phrases. Total, the Netherlands elevated its wind era by 152% and Finland adopted carefully behind with a 143% rise.
Latvia, equally, noticed vital development, with the share of renewables leaping from 49.5% in 2019 to 76.6% in 2023. This 27.1% enhance is especially key for the nation, because it continues to focus on lowering its dependence on vitality imports from Russia.
Spain added extra photo voltaic era in absolute phrases over the four-year interval than some other nation within the EU, tripling its general renewable era.
Poland elevated its photo voltaic era by greater than 1,500%, rising era by 12TWh albeit from a low place to begin of simply 0.71TWh in 2019. Renewables generated a document 26% of electrical energy within the nation in 2023. Nonetheless, coal nonetheless produces many of the nation’s electrical energy and continues to have a robust impression on coverage resulting from highly effective lobbies.
Hungary has elevated its photo voltaic share of era essentially the most since 2019, with a rise of 14%. It was adopted carefully by the Netherlands, with a 12.8% enhance. Luxembourg elevated wind energy share of era by greater than the Netherlands – 17%.
Simply three EU international locations see fossil gas era enhance
Total, simply three EU international locations – Malta, Croatia and Lithuania – noticed a rise within the share of fossil gas era in 2023 relative to 2019, in response to Carbon Temporary evaluation.
Over the identical interval, Luxembourg and Finland lowered fossil era by greater than 60%.
The Netherlands has lowered its fossil gas share within the electrical energy system essentially the most since 2019, falling by near 30%. As proven within the chart under, this fall was mirrored by a big enhance in renewable vitality era.
Compared with 2019, Eire noticed a rise in coal era in 2023 making it the one EU nation to take action. In 2019, coal era was at a document low within the nation (0.51TWh) earlier than leaping to 2.72TWh in 2022 resulting from a drop in wind era.
Nonetheless, since that time coal energy era has been persevering with to fall once more, in keeping with the broader pattern seen over the previous few a long time.
Eire has seen whole electrical energy demand enhance by greater than 60% since 2019, Carbon Temporary evaluation exhibits. The nation’s vitality demand has been significantly pushed by the expansion of knowledge centres, which accounted for 18% of vitality demand in 2022, for instance.
Regardless of the blip in coal era, the share of fossil fuels fell by 2.5% between 2019 and 2023.
Portugal lowered its use of coal essentially the most, relative to 2019, whereas Germany lowered essentially the most in absolute phrases. As mentioned above, this was supported by surging renewable era in each international locations.
Pieter de Pous, programme lead in E3G’s fossil gas transition programme, tells Carbon Temporary:
“Europe’s phaseout of coal has been one among its largest, most historic, monumental success tales of the final couple of years when you concentrate on it. We’ve dropped consumption since 2016 by 50%, proper? It’s actually huge and it’s a narrative that’s not often informed.”
The final European Parliament elections noticed a “inexperienced wave” of climate-focused politicians profitable seats throughout the continent. Within the years that adopted, the EU authorized a European Inexperienced Deal, together with objectives to chop emissions by 55% from 1990 ranges by 2030 and attain net-zero by 2050.
European member states now have a “crucial position” to play in implementing what has been agreed, notes Rosslowe. He provides:
“The following legislative agenda is more likely to be constructed round themes of safety and competitiveness. The primary predominant process concerning vitality and local weather for the brand new parliament can be to nominate a workforce of commissioners who will sort out these – and some other new coverage priorities – in a manner that enhances moderately than competes with the aims of the Inexperienced Deal.”
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