Welcome to the Earth.Org Global Sustainability Index, where Earth.Org examines the policies and actions regarding the environment of every nation on earth. Combining the most respected global indexes on pollution, climate change, policy, energy, oceans, biodiversity we have produced an overall Global Index, which will be updated annually. This is the Global Sustainability Index scorecard for Romania.
Romania is following the EU clean energy transition targets. The EU has set binding climate and energy targets for 2030: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40%, increasing energy efficiency by at least 32.5%, increasing the share of renewable energy to at least 32% of EU energy use and guaranteeing at least 15% electricity inter-connection levels between neighbouring Member States. To ensure that the EU targets are met, EU legislation requires that each Member State drafts a 10- year National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), setting out how to reach its national targets, including the binding national target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Romania’s overall renewable energy contribution is significantly below the share needed. Considering its draft plan of ‘becoming an important player in achieving the EU 2030 energy efficiency targets, the ambition level of the foreseen contributions are very low.
However, Romania has considered setting up an energy efficiency investment fund funded by private, public and EU funds to co-finance auction revenue and new support mechanisms, as well as decarbonisation technologies and processes. Depending on its implementation, this fund could efficiently pool resources to trigger needed investments in those sectors.
The government also intends to promote transport via waterways as a more eco-friendly form of transport.
Overall, the government says that it will ‘try to promote policies to drive growth at EU level as well as increase the financial feasibility of implementing new sustainability measures in smaller economies within the EU.
- Romania’s targets include a 40% reduction in domestic GHG emissions by 2030 (a 55% reduction target has been proposed), and achieving net-zero status by 2050, as per the EU’s pledges.
- Romania has developed a “Low Carbon Green Strategy” for 2016-2030, aiming to reduce emissions and support adaptation (e.g. in the agricultural sector).
- They perform very well in GHG emissions at 4.09 metric tons per capita, but their renewable sector is still quite weak. There are currently no major policies driving a change in this area.
You might also like: Global Emissions (2016)
References:
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Biodiversity, Policy: Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G. (2019): Sustainable Development Report 2019. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
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Oceans: Halpern, Benjamin S., et al. “An index to assess the health and benefits of the global ocean.” Nature 488.7413 (2012): 615-620.
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Pollution: Wendling, Z. A., Emerson, J. W., Esty, D. C., Levy, M. A., de Sherbinin, A., et al. (2018). 2018 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. https://epi.yale.edu/
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Climate Change: Climate Change Performance Index; Jan Burck, Ursula Hagen, Niklas Höhne, Leonardo Nascimento, Christoph Bals, ISBN 978-3-943704-75-4, 2019
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Energy: Enerdata –World Energy Statistics – Yearbook.
World Energy Statistics
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Global Scorecards transcription: Afghanistan rankings, policy: 128; pollution: 168; climate change: N/A; oceans N/A; biodiversity: 16; energy N/A, Earth.org global ranking 190.
