ROMANIA: We are the member state that has reduced greenhouse gas emissions the most, compared to 1990 – Burduja

Romania is the European Union member state that has reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions the most compared to 1990 levels, by 77%, compared to the EU average of 31%, according to Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja.

‘Smart Deal or Green Deal? I have a duty to present the figures and call things by their names, even if it bothers me. The energy transition does not mean unconditional sacrifice, but building for a better future. And we cannot build a clean, truly strong economy without a solid foundation. Call it energy patriotism or simply common sense. That means investing in renewables, yes, and a smart use of all the resources we have: natural gas, nuclear energy and, temporarily, coal. (…) How does Romania stand in terms of CO2 emissions? Well, we are the member state that has reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions the most compared to 1990 levels, namely by 77%, compared to the Union average of 31%. Here we can also be European champions in one respect, but at what price?’, the minister wrote on Tuesday on his Facebook page.

He stressed that the emissions generated by Romania currently represent approximately 2.6% of the EU’s total GHG emissions, therefore a percentage of less than 0.3% of global emissions.

‘Shouldn’t we support our position at European level and show, as Mario Draghi has already done, in a report unanimously appreciated in Brussels, that the shock therapy of ‘greening’ must be well weighed and balanced with measures to increase the competitiveness of the European economy? Equally important, shouldn’t we analyze the implications for energy security – and therefore national security – when we assume to close coal-fired groups without replacing equivalent production capacities in the band? Doesn’t this mean a dangerous dependence on imports, at best, and on toxic imports from those who have been practicing energy blackmail for decades, at worst? In whose interest?’, the minister also wrote on the social network.

He mentioned that he is not in favor of giving up EU funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, from the Modernization Fund, that he does not ‘sabotage’ the Green Deal and that he does not cancel the decarbonization strategy of the national energy system.

‘A clear proof is the Energy Strategy of Romania for 2025-2035, which we adopted after more than 17 years and which foresees increasing the share of renewable energy to 44% by 2035 and to 76% by 2050, consolidating the role of clean energy in the energy mix. The question is not whether we continue to do all this, but at what pace and at what costs,’ pointed out Sebastian Burduja.