Europe – According to a new analysis, government initiatives to cut back on gas and electricity use vary greatly across Europe and don’t appear sufficient to reach the EU’s energy-saving ambitions.
It has been four months since European leaders decided to cut the demand for gas and electricity in their nations by 15% and 10%, respectively. However, it appears that the efforts implemented in this area across EU nations are too few and sporadic.
The results of an analysis of the gas and power conservation measures implemented by EU member states by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) reveal significant differences.
Out of the 27 EU member states, 8 have not yet adopted any policies to cut back on their use of gas and electricity. Not in homes, companies, or government entities. Only 12 EU member states have implemented some required energy-saving measures.
Implementing measures
The most forceful efforts to reduce gas use have been implemented in countries that import significant amounts of Russian gas, such as Germany and Italy. Less reliant on gas nations like France and Spain are also leading the EU in efforts to reduce energy use, focusing on both public and private institutions, homes as well as industry and small businesses.
The energy reduction policies of Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, and Eastern European countries are typically weaker.
The Netherlands and Croatia have only implemented voluntary gas-saving measures, despite being among the nations that depend most heavily on gas (between 30 and 40% of their total energy mix). Despite their strong reliance on fossil fuels, Lithuania and Romania have taken no action to cut their energy usage.
