The National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) is a ten-year integrated document mandated by the European Union to each of its member states in order for the EU to meet its overall greenhouse gases emissions targets. Following feedback from an EU-wide assessment of draft NECP submissions, EU members are required to submit updated final NECPs for the period 2021-2030. The Energy and Climate Plan addresses all five dimensions of the EU Energy Union: decarbonisation, energy efficiency, energy security, internal energy markets and research, innovation and competitiveness.
The plan establishes key objectives: 1) to accelerate the transition from traditional fuels to renewable sources by promoting the gradual phasing out of coal for electricity generation in favour of an electricity mix based on a growing share of renewables; 2) to implement policies and measures in order to reduce greenhouse gases (phase out of coal, higher CO2 price, acceleration of renewables and energy efficiency in manufacturing); 3) to use a mix of fiscal, economic, regulatory and policy instruments to enhance energy efficiency; 4) to reduce dependence on imports by increasing renewable sources and energy efficiency and to diversify sources of supply through the use of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG); 5) to ensure a greater degree of market integration and the development of processes, products and knowledge for the use of renewables, energy efficiency and network technology. In the updated final plan, some general targets have been slightly reduced (i.e. the non-ETS emissions reduction target decreased from 30% to a 29.3% reduction) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and energy supply shocks.
