PRESS RELEASE: Updated CAN Europe tracking tool on National Energy and Climate Plans exposes gaps

CAN Europe updated its National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) Tracker tool which compares national climate and energy commitments with EU 2030 targets and benchmarks, as well as with actual emission reductions and energy transition taking place at country level. The tool reveals that climate and energy ambition is insufficient and action on the ground is not happening at the required pace. The EU 2030 climate and energy targets have to be delivered “on the ground” through Member States’ actions. EU countries must describe their national targets and measures and demonstrate progress through their NECPs. The NECPs Tracker tool provides a visual representation of real action – or lack thereof – and arrives at sobering results in the 17 covered countries. “The level of ambition of the National Energy and Climate Plans combined is still insufficient not only to meet the Paris Agreement commitments, but also to reach the EU 2030 climate and energy objectives, which would be in breach of the European Climate Law”, said Federico Mascolo, NECP expert at CAN Europe. He added: “Data shows that the final plans analysed are still falling short of the required climate and energy commitments for 2030. Some countries meet them only on paper, without a concrete action plan, while many still have to submit their final pledges. Three months after the deadline, only 13 out of the 27 NECPs are finalised. The delay in submitting the final NECPs is in itself an alarming signal that Member States are neglecting their responsibility and their legal obligations to plan and deliver 2030 climate and energy targets.” The data shows that while some progress has been made compared to the draft NECP updates, major issues persist in the final plans:

Emissions reduction targets for sectors such as transport, agriculture, and waste combined (under the Effort-Sharing Regulation) have improved in countries like Denmark, Ireland, and Germany. The land-use and forestry targets have been strengthened in Italy, Ireland, and Spain, with renewable energy targets improving in Denmark and Ireland. However, these improvements often lack the necessary policy support to ensure effective implementation.
In contrast, some countries have taken a step backward. Italy’s renewable energy target has decreased, while Spain and France have lowered their energy efficiency goals compared to drafts submitted only months ago.

The tool also reveals that countries are even lagging in the implementation of their old NECP targets. All of the 17 EU Member States featured in the tracker were behind in at least one of the tracker indicators. These gaps highlight the pressing need for significant changes in national plans and policy implementation across the board if the EU is serious about climate neutrality and energy transition. -ENDS- Notes to the editor

The NECP tracker has a double function: on the one hand, it assesses the ambition of the latest available NECPs (i.e. either the draft or final updates) by comparing them with EU 2030 climate targets and energy benchmarks. On the other, it monitors whether national governments are implementing their old 2019 NECPs as planned, by comparing them with historical data. A deeper interpretation of the findings as well as the methodology can be consulted in this briefing.
The tracker currently covers 17 EU Member States: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
As of today, only 13 countries out of 27 (the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Finland, France, Latvia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain, Lithuania – with Hungary just submitting it, but not yet published on the European Commission’s website) – three months after the deadline – submitted their final NECPs to the European Commission. At the time of writing the report, only 11 were available. This delay also makes it difficult to assess the real level of climate and energy ambitions of the EU in the next few years, crucial for climate action.
National Energy and Climate Plans require EU Member States to describe, in an integrated manner, their climate and energy objectives and targets – as well as the policies and measures to achieve them until 2030 (with an outlook to 2040 and the longer term). Member States had to update them between 2023 and 2024. 30 June 2024 was the due date for the submission of the final updates.
More details on how accelerated climate action before 2030 and a net-zero goal by 2040 now would yield economic benefits of at least €1 trillion by 2030 can be found in CAN Europe’s recent report ‘Paris Pact Payoff: Speeding up the green transition for socio-economic co-benefits’.