What John Lennon got right – and wrong – about Europe’s energy and climate plans

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At time of writing, just five countries had submitted their final national energy and climate plans (NECPs) to the European Commission by the 30 June deadline.

These plans, once submitted, will shed light on whether the EU’s 27 governments are serious about meeting the bloc’s climate, renewables, and energy efficiency targets.

John Lennon may not have known much about NECPs (nor about NDCs, ETS2, or RFNBOs for that matter) but he still has wisdom to share – particularly his much-quoted observation, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Public authorities always have a weakness for plans, but Europe’s plan-making has gone into hyperdrive since the Green Deal kicked off in 2019.

A bit more implementation would be very welcome. Europe’s carbon capture and green hydrogen industries still largely exist only on paper for example, despite no shortage of visions, roadmaps, and strategies.

If John Lennon was in heaven (unlikely since he sang imagining none) chatting with Elvis about NECPs, the King would probably want to see “a little less conversation, and a little more action.”

The clock is ticking NECPs need to set out how Europe reduces emissions by at least 55% by 2030 – which is just around the corner.

Unfortunately tardiness has been a feature of the NECP process. Governments were supposed to submit first drafts of their plans this time last year – only 16 countries met the 30 June 2023 deadline.

But better late than dead on time.

If we have to wait a little longer, but receive plans based upon extensive consultation and open discussion, this would not be a bad thing.

The NECP process is meant to be more than just submitting a PDF report to the Commission. At its best, the process of writing them should build consensus within countries on the best way to meet tough climate targets. It should allow people to buy in to climate plans – particularly across different levels and areas of government.

The NECP framework recognises this. EU law requires national governments to set up continuous and multilevel dialogue, to bring local authorities, civil society organisations, business, investors and the general public into deliberations on energy and climate.

But the Commission noted in late 2023 that hardly any countries had brought multilateral dialogues into the NECP writing process. To their credit, some municipal authorities are self-organising via an ‘NECP Platform’ but this isn’t enough in isolation.

Once more NECPs are submitted, attention will invariably focus on the plans’ headline ambition – will they collectively deliver on Europe’s climate targets?

A less obvious but arguably more important question concerns the process. Did national governments take the opportunity to build broad consensus and deep buy-in around these plans, or was it a top-down exercise, with a text circulating only amongst a small group of officials?

This is ultimately what may determine whether NECPs are embraced and implemented, or left on the shelf to gather dust.

But this is what Lennon got wrong about NECPs. Life indeed happens when you’re busy making plans, but plan-making, if you involve those around you, can be a great way of living life.

• Central and Eastern Europe’s climate plans lack ambition, say environmental NGOs – By Nathan Canas
• Effort sharing: EU countries split on major climate law – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
• Green Deal in Eastern Europe: still alive after EU elections – By Antonia Kosteva
• EU countries not implementing power market reforms – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
• LEAK: Hungary’s agenda for the Environment, Energy and Transport Council meetings – By Nathan Canas
• Car industry warns EU leaders against reversing 2035 combustion engine ban – By Jonathan Packroff
• EU CO2 price ‘significantly’ influenced by political backing, researchers find – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
• Timmermans’ cabinet chief Samsom to chair natural gas giant Gasunie – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer

BRATISLAVA. Slovakia may redirect millions from recovery plan to carbon storage project. Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government is considering redirecting €300 million from its recovery plan to building an underground carbon dioxide storage facility. The plan needs European Commission approval and must be ready by 2026. Read more.

PARIS. National energy and climate plan: what France risks if it fails to comply. By failing to meet its renewable energy targets for 2020, and refusing to set similar targets for 2030. France risks a heavy fine and the freezing of European funds. But in practice, imposition of penalties seem a long way off. Read more.

ATHENS. Greek firefighters battle wildfires for second day amid strong winds. Greek firefighters were battling two wildfires near Athens on Sunday amid strong winds, just hours after managing to contain blazes in a mountainous area also near the capital as well as on an island in the Aegean Sea. Read more.

Eurelectric: Electricity production in the EU has never been so green. According to the latest figures from Eurelectric’s electricity data platform, in the first half of 2024, renewables accounted for more than 50% of total electricity generation in Europe, while nuclear provided a 24% share.

The share of electricity generated from renewable and low-carbon energies rose from 68% in 2023 to 74% in the first half of this year.

However, the European electricity industry representative warned that demand for electricity in the EU fell by 5.1% in the first half of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022 “due to the relocation of industry abroad, warmer temperatures, energy savings and weak economic growth.”

To this end, Eurelectric is calling on the new Commission to propose an action plan for electrification within the first 100 days of its new mandate, with a target of 35% of energy electrified by 2030 and a clear electrification indicator to be introduced into EU countries’ National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). [Nathan Canas]

• Are EU countries at risk of missing EU climate targets? – By Giada Santana

• Why backing Germany’s LNG investment is a roadblock – not a bridge to the future – By Stéphanie Nieuwbourg
• The New European Bauhaus – a paradigm shift – By Ruth Schageman

• 11-12 JULY. Informal meeting of environment ministers
• 15 – 16 JULY. Informal meeting of energy ministers
• 14 OCTOBER. Environment Council
• 17-18 OCTOBER. European Council
• 16 DECEMBER. Energy Council
• 17 DECEMBER. Environment Council
• 19-20 DECEMBER. European Council

[Edited by Rajnish Singh] 

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