Read the full letter here.
To
Mr. Dan Jørgensen
European Commissioner for Energy and Housing
Brussels, 2 December 2024
Dear Commissioner Jørgensen,
Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe’s leading NGO coalition fighting dangerous climate change. With over 200 member organisations from 40 European countries, representing over 1.700 NGOs, think tanks or research institutes and more than 40 million citizens, CAN Europe promotes sustainable climate, energy and development policies throughout Europe.
We would like to warmly congratulate you on your appointment as Commissioner for Energy and Housing. The next five years will undoubtedly be both exciting and challenging, and we are committed to work at your side to achieve the highest possible ambition. CAN Europe recently published detailed recommendations on the future of EU energy policy in our Energy Compass for the Policy Cycle 2024–29, based on the findings of our Paris Agreement–Compatible (PAC) energy
scenario, which demonstrates how the EU can contribute to limit global warming to 1.5°C and achieve climate neutrality by 2040 through a 100% renewable energy system.
We followed with great interest your hearing in the European Parliament and your work programme for the upcoming cycle. Amongst many positive elements that you are dedicated to make progress on, such as boosting the rollout of renewable energy, the required expansion and strengthening of grids and flexibility in the energy system as well as increasing private and public investments, we would like to highlight a couple of areas we believe require further attention to make this endeavour a success.
Mr. Dan Jørgensen
European Commissioner for Energy and Housing
Brussels, 2 December 2024
Dear Commissioner Jørgensen,
Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe’s leading NGO coalition fighting dangerous climate change. With over 200 member organisations from 40 European countries, representing over 1.700 NGOs, think tanks or research institutes and more than 40 million citizens, CAN Europe promotes sustainable climate, energy and development policies throughout Europe.
We would like to warmly congratulate you on your appointment as Commissioner for Energy and Housing. The next five years will undoubtedly be both exciting and challenging, and we are committed to work at your side to achieve the highest possible ambition. CAN Europe recently published detailed recommendations on the future of EU energy policy in our Energy Compass for the Policy Cycle 2024–29, based on the findings of our Paris Agreement–Compatible (PAC) energy
scenario, which demonstrates how the EU can contribute to limit global warming to 1.5°C and achieve climate neutrality by 2040 through a 100% renewable energy system.
We followed with great interest your hearing in the European Parliament and your work programme for the upcoming cycle. Amongst many positive elements that you are dedicated to make progress on, such as boosting the rollout of renewable energy, the required expansion and strengthening of grids and flexibility in the energy system as well as increasing private and public investments, we would like to highlight a couple of areas we believe require further attention to make this endeavour a success.
Energy Demand Reduction and Energy Efficiency
CAN Europe’s PAC scenario emphasises the critical role of energy demand reduction in achieving climate neutrality by 2040. Multiple benefits include the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and pollution, lower energy system costs, resource savings, health and well–being improvements, job creation and lower energy bills. In our report The Paris Pact Payoff, we show that the EU could generate co–benefits of over 1 trillion Euro already by 2030 by adopting more ambitious energy savings measures. These would also keep energy system costs and hence energy prices low, giving EU industry a competitive advantage.
It is therefore fundamental to ensure a stringent implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive and adopt an energy demand reduction target for the post–2030 framework, along with a renewable energy target.
Phasing out fossil fuels with a special focus on fossil gas
We welcome your strong commitment to phasing out Russian gas imports and your announcement to come forward quickly with several policy proposals in this field. However, beyond these initiatives, we urge you to take a more holistic approach on fossil gas and come forward with a framework and strategy to orderly reduce and end fossil gas consumption across sectors in the EU by 2035. In 2022, EU Member States spent more than €400bn on importing fossil gas, while they have shown during the crisis that gas demand can be reduced significantly, with a reduction of 20% between 2021 and 2023. The measures of Regulation EU 2022/(1369) should be a cornerstone of the Security of Supply Regulation revision within a broader framework for a fossil gas exit in the EU.
We look forward to working with you over these coming five years and remain at your disposal.
Yours sincerely,
Chiara Martinelli
Director, CAN Europe
Attachments:
Energy Compass for the Policy Cycle 2024–29
Paris Agreement–Compatible (PAC) energy scenario (executive summary)
Paris Agreement–Compatible (PAC) energy scenario – full technical report
CAN Europe’s PAC scenario emphasises the critical role of energy demand reduction in achieving climate neutrality by 2040. Multiple benefits include the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and pollution, lower energy system costs, resource savings, health and well–being improvements, job creation and lower energy bills. In our report The Paris Pact Payoff, we show that the EU could generate co–benefits of over 1 trillion Euro already by 2030 by adopting more ambitious energy savings measures. These would also keep energy system costs and hence energy prices low, giving EU industry a competitive advantage.
It is therefore fundamental to ensure a stringent implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive and adopt an energy demand reduction target for the post–2030 framework, along with a renewable energy target.
Phasing out fossil fuels with a special focus on fossil gas
We welcome your strong commitment to phasing out Russian gas imports and your announcement to come forward quickly with several policy proposals in this field. However, beyond these initiatives, we urge you to take a more holistic approach on fossil gas and come forward with a framework and strategy to orderly reduce and end fossil gas consumption across sectors in the EU by 2035. In 2022, EU Member States spent more than €400bn on importing fossil gas, while they have shown during the crisis that gas demand can be reduced significantly, with a reduction of 20% between 2021 and 2023. The measures of Regulation EU 2022/(1369) should be a cornerstone of the Security of Supply Regulation revision within a broader framework for a fossil gas exit in the EU.
We look forward to working with you over these coming five years and remain at your disposal.
Yours sincerely,
Chiara Martinelli
Director, CAN Europe
Attachments:
Energy Compass for the Policy Cycle 2024–29
Paris Agreement–Compatible (PAC) energy scenario (executive summary)
Paris Agreement–Compatible (PAC) energy scenario – full technical report
