European Union energy ministers agreed on laws to conserve energy and promote renewable sources, as part of a package Brussels has proposed to tackle climate change by drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions this decade.
More details on climate proposals will be discussed at talks Tuesday, and some diplomats worry that proposals such as a ban on oil and diesel vehicles by 2035 could end.
EU energy ministers will also discuss options to reduce natural gas demand en masse, as the European Commission prepares to present a plan next month to coordinate measures to counter Russia’s further supply cuts amid the war in Ukraine.
“We need to find a coordinated approach for industry,” EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said at the meeting in Luxembourg. He added that “consumers will be protected” from such restrictions. .
Ministers are trying to agree on common positions on proposed legislation to meet the 2030 target of reducing emissions by 55% from 1990 levels.
But the threat of an economic downturn due to rising energy prices has left some countries wary of rapid changes that they fear could cause further disruption.
Brussels proposed even higher targets last month, and ministers are expected to review it this year as they negotiate final laws with the EU parliament.
In a remarkable weakening of the proposals, at Spain’s request, the 2030 target to reduce primary energy consumption was made voluntary rather than legally binding. But countries also supported stricter rules proposed by Germany to ensure that each member state contributes to another mandatory goal of reducing the EU’s final energy consumption.
Brussels said this year’s energy supply crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means that the EU’s 27 countries must act even faster to get off fossil fuels.
source: Noticias
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