Speed up the energy transition! The NECP review process in Hungary and NGO messages

At the request of climate and energy NGOs, including NSC-FoE Hungary, the Ministry of Energy has launched a consultation on climate and energy policy planning in the context of the Hungarian NECP review.  The Ministry plans to launch public consultation on the new draft NECP by the end of June 2023. According to the NSC-FoE Hungary, the Hungarian NECP review should: 

– There should be a transparent drafting and consultation process on the full draft and the summary, when all options are still open, using the opinions and recommendations of scientists and experts, even when discussing the basics and underlying assumptions of energy and climate policy.

– Explore ways to reduce energy use; the weak energy efficiency target should be strengthened. Re-industrialisation should not prevent industry from significantly reducing its overall energy demand; the public should be significantly and consistently supported in contributing to the energy efficiency target;

– Massive support for energy efficiency improvements, in particular for residential renovation, should be prioritised, with ambitious minimum energy saving requirements (at least medium level, with a preference for deep renovation). The NECP should provide clear guidance on the timing, content, scale and financing of housing renovation programmes, taking into account building types and the social situation of owners/occupants, as well as addressing energy poverty.

– Set a clear roadmap for enabling and supporting energy communities (regulatory environment, financial support schemes);

– Significantly diversify renewable energy sources, including geothermal and wind, and allow their connection to the grid; reduce the priority given to biomass (and introduce strict sustainability criteria); a combination of around 10-12 gigawatts of solar capacity and 5 gigawatts of wind capacity should be used to significantly reduce investment costs, land requirements and the need for non-weather-dependent balancing energy.

Read updates about Hungary’s NECP process, HU NGO  messages and other related news and materials in English at https://1point5.caneurope.org/countries/hungary/