Alina Oprea • 8 May, 2023 at 8:50 AM
The government has chosen to adopt the most ambitious long-term strategy scenario regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Romanian government adopted the Memorandum on "Neutral Romania 2050", a complex document, with targets for reducing CO2 emissions, but also with investments leading to these reductions. The measures focus on the four main polluting areas: energy, transport, buildings, and agriculture.
"It is an important moment for the Ministry of the Environment, because, in the Government meeting, a decision of principle was made by reviewing and approving by memorandum the version of the scenario, among the three proposed by the consulting firm. It is an important moment because all relevant ministries and the Government agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of the Environment regarding the choice of the "Neutral Romania 2050" scenario. It is a challenge for Romania, it is a challenge for Europe, it is a challenge for the whole planet this transition to economic development takes into account the most important element: the reduction of carbon emissions, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and the transition to sustainable development and achieving this neutrality by 2050", declared the Minister of the Environment, Barna Tanczos.
The officials of the Ministry of the Environment say that the strategy has not yet entered the public debate, but they considered that it should be presented to the citizens as soon as possible because the implications of the strategy's application are extremely important.
According to the minister, PricewaterhouseCoopers Romania developed three scenarios for this strategy, and the Government chose the "Neutral Romania 2050" option. The study was carried out with the help of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Macedonia. "It is the most ambitious scenario, with significant, even huge, investments. The version adopted by the Government is a landmark that will be talked about in the coming decades," said the official.
"In the field of transport, for mobility with low emissions in the housing field, with a new philosophy for new constructions and significant, even huge, investments to reduce energy waste in the housing field, to increase our ability to use less energy for that housing surface, in the field of local authorities, in the health field, for example, where again energy efficiency is very important, in the industrial field and we left behind the energy field, where the investments are huge and we have European programs available, we have the PNRR and the structural funds, we have RepowerEU. All will contribute to the achievement of these targets and the implementation of this Neutral Romania 2050 scenario", explained the Minister of the Environment.
"It is the first time that the ministries sit down at the same table and discuss for a longer period and in a very sustained, intense way, in order to reach a vision at the country level and which we want to discuss with you today for that we cannot give life to this document if we do not assume all the relevant, interested, affected actors if we do not assume these targets", said Alina Jalea, State Counselor at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. According to her, the document is to be sent to Brussels on Friday itself.
In addition, the Strategy regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions had to be developed for several years, so this also explains the intensity with which consultations were made with all the ministries involved. According to Sorin Banciu, Secretary of State in the Ministry of the Environment, there is also a good part of this delay: in the meantime, at the level of the European Union, several documents such as the Green Deal have been adopted, which must be taken into account in the new strategy. "And the Ministry of Transport does not have a strategy that goes until 2050," said the official. "For all sectors, we insisted. If there are development plans, now is the time to introduce them", said Banciu.
The final form of "Neutral Romania 2050" will be adopted by Government Decision.