The draft National Energy and Climate Plan 2030 (NEC 2030) submitted by the Ministry of Economics (MoE) was announced at the Meeting of the State Secretaries for interinstitutional coordination on 14 November. This has been the beginning of the final phase of coordination of the draft NEC 2030 with ministries and other stakeholders. On 17 December 2019, NEC 2030 is scheduled to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in order to present it to the European Commission by the end of the year.
Following the adoption of the recommendations of the European Commission in June 2019, the public proposals and the opinions of ministries, the wording of NEC 2030, including the planned action lines and measures, has been updated. At the same time, stakeholders are invited to participate in the coordination of the draft NEC 2030 announced at the Meeting of the State Secretaries and to submit proposals for improvement of NEC 2030 by 29 November 2019. The draft NEC 2030 is available on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers and on the MoE website.
NEC 2030 will be the main document for the formulation of the long-term energy and climate policy, which aims to promote the development of climate-neutral and internationally competitive national economy of Latvia in the long term. In addition, this goal can be achieved in a sustainable and cost-effective way by reducing energy dependency on third countries, eliminating energy poverty risks and promoting public welfare in general.
In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to promote efficient use of resources and their self-sufficiency and diversity; to ensure a gradual reduction in the consumption of resources, in particular fossil and unsustainable resources, and a simultaneous transition to the use of sustainable, renewable and innovative resources; to stimulate the development of such research and innovation that contributes to the development of the sustainable energy sector and mitigation of climate change.
NEC 2030 includes around 100 different policy measures in 12 action lines:
Improving energy efficiency of buildings; Improving energy efficiency and promoting the use of RES technologies in heating, cooling and industry; Promoting the use of negative emission technologies in electricity generation; Promoting economically justified self-generation and self-consumption of energy; Improving energy efficiency, promoting the use of alternative fuels and RES technologies in transport; Energy security, reducing energy dependency, full integration of energy markets and modernisation of infrastructure; Improving the efficiency of waste and wastewater management and reducing GHG emissions; Efficient use of resources and reduction of GHG emissions in agriculture; Sustainable use of resources and reduction of GHG emissions and increasing CO2capture in the sectors of land use, land-use change and forestry; Reducing the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases); “Greening” of the tax system and improvement of friendliness to energy efficiency and RES technologies; Informing, education and awareness-raising of the public.
In order to continue discussing NEC 2030 and to discuss future challenges, the “Energy and Climate Plan 2030 – Towards a Sustainable Country” Forum is organised in Riga on 21 November, where parties interested in energy and climate are invited to participate on-site and online. More information about the forum is available here. Participation in the event is free of charge, but all interested parties are required to register their participation in the event here.
In accordance with the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, all Member States of the European Union should draw up such a plan and submit it to the European Commission by 31 December 2019. The Ministry of Economics drafted the first version of the plan and submitted it to the European Commission in December 2018. The European Commission assessed the draft plan submitted by Latvia and issued recommendations for the measures included in it.