In a report published on Wednesday 24 August, the NGO Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) sets out a five-point plan to reduce the EU’s fossil gas consumption. In particular, the organisation criticises the EU for following an approach that focuses too much on decarbonising gas rather than decarbonising end uses.
According to Jan Rosenow, director of the RAP and one of the authors of the report, “the gas transition needs to happen in synchronisation with the power sector transition”, because “the aim is not about decarbonising gas but to decarbonise the energy system at least cost”.
The report calls on the EU to legislate on the basis that hydrogen and zero-carbon fuels “will be needed only for hard-to electrify sectors such as aviation and heavy industry”.
The NGO therefore recommends that the EU take an “integrated approach” by addressing the decarbonisation of the energy system as a whole in order to identify the most effective ways to decarbonise the different sectors quickly, fairly and efficiently.
“Without system integration, there is a major risk of ‘policy siloing’,” Rosenow insists.
Among other principles highlighted by the report, the organisation recommends promoting solutions that prioritise benefits for low-income and disadvantaged households and increasing the transparency of regulatory decisions.
See the report: https://aeur.eu/f/2ti (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)