Five EU countries are looking to introduce new fossil fuel subsidies by 2030, according to analysis of the 28 member states’ draft energy and climate plans in a new report.
The report – by the Overseas Development Institute, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Netherlands and Climate Action Network – says the UK, Germany, Greece, Poland, and Slovenia all plan new support for fossil fuels.
For example, Greece mentions that it will introduce a subsidy aimed at replacing diesel boilers with fossil gas-fired ones, while Poland intends to provide subsidies for underground gas storage and the use of liquified natural gas for transport, the report said.
The report – ‘Fossil fuel subsidies in draft EU National Energy and Climate Plans: Shortcomings and final call for action’ – calls on each member state to list all existing subsidy measures to fossil fuels using a common definition, and provide comprehensive phase-out plans in their final plans due at the end of the year.
FoE Netherlands climate and energy researcher and lead author of the report Laurie van der Burg said: “As part of the G20, EU governments committed to ending fossil fuel subsidies back in 2009.
“Ten years later, as the world is in the midst of a climate crisis, EU governments continue to provide huge sums of taxpayers’ money to fossil fuels, the single biggest cause of climate change.”
“If EU governments are serious about climate action, they must turn their longstanding commitments to ending fossil fuel subsidies into concrete action plans.
“This will not only help address climate change but will also free-up scarce resources that can be better spent to build a sustainable future.”