The delay costs hundreds of millions: unfortunately, the authorities have yet to reach an agreement

In April, a study on the decarbonization of European industry by scientists was presented in Brussels (Mutual Learning Exercise on Industrial decarbonisation). The aim of the document was to clarify the specific needs and interests of individual countries in reducing emissions of environmentally harmful substances, to exchange experiences and knowledge on success factors and lessons learned, and finally to provide guidance to policy makers on how to develop or update decarbonisation strategies for specific industrial sectors.

There is general agreement that industrial sectors need to replace fossil fuel energy with renewable electricity and other energy sources, as well as use energy sources more efficiently.

But the study also talks about how important it is today to mobilize private and public investment, both financial and human, to achieve the goals.

The document was prepared together with colleagues from other EU countries by Žaneta Stasiškienė, professor, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Environment engineering director of the institute. In Lithuania, she says, above all, she misses inter-institutional cooperation.

“I don’t see the system, the communication between the individual ministries. If one ministry decides that it can use the money in some area relevant to this topic, there are obstacles when coordinating ideas with other ministries, many gaps appear.” – the KTU professor says in a press release.

The inability to reach an agreement and make the necessary decisions on time costs Lithuania dearly. For example, according to the calculations of the Lithuanian Renewable Energy Confederation (LAIEK), each working day during which decisions are not taken to reduce the consumption of oil fuel in the transport sector directly means about 1 million to the Lithuanian budget. EUR losses – lost income and additional costs incurred. From 2021 the total amount of these losses has already reached 0.5 billion. euros and it is constantly growing – an average of 8.4 euros per second.

LAIEK calculates that if specific actions are not taken in Lithuania and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 will remain in the transport sector in 2023. level, Lithuania will exceed the GHG quota by 14.87 million tons of CO2, and for the budget it would mean about 1.49 billion. euro loss. This scenario is realistic as the consumption of petroleum products continues to decline.

The initiative “41 percent “less oil”, the gathered companies hope that the Seimas will approve the drafts of the amendment to the Energy Law on Renewable Resources, which establish the state’s goal of reducing oil fuel consumption by 41 percent by 2030.

This is extremely important for employers – for example, companies are considering investing in the development of renewable energy, but so far are hesitant to do so simply because of the government’s indecisiveness in reducing the level of oil consumption.

Speaking about how Lithuania is succeeding in achieving the EU’s goals of reducing dependence on fossil fuels, Ž. First of all, Stasiškienė suggests looking at the country’s Government and individual ministries, which are directly responsible for the implementation of actions to reduce climate change. According to her, today it is practically impossible to single out one ministry that is responsible for the reduction of pollutants, because this topic, if maximum changes are desired, covers practically all areas of life.

“When we ask how Lithuania is achieving its goals, we have to ask how the Lithuanian Government is doing, how individual ministries are doing. Of course, we should first start with the Ministries of Energy, Economy and Innovation, but this is also the topic of the Ministry of Finance, because everything is related to finance, of course, and the Ministry of the Environment, because it affects the environment, and finally, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, because we have to prepare people , who have the appropriate competences and education to make the necessary decisions. All these ministries must work hand in hand, our report makes that very clear,” – says Ž. Stasiškienė.

According to her, when some ministries present their action plans, it is not uncommon to hear disapproval from other ministries. Such a lack of communication hinders change.

“I lack a clear position from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, greater involvement of human resources”, – she says.

The scientist emphasizes that in order to achieve climate change goals, the contribution of the authorities alone is not enough. In the end, change is made by business, although it is heavily influenced by the government, and its approach to solving climate problems is also not always unanimous, and actions are often based on money.

And the aforementioned study highlights that stakeholders, including governments, industry, non-governmental organizations and communities, are critical to addressing the complex challenges of climate change and carbon reduction.

“A very broad and systematic vision of all interested parties is needed. Each of the interested parties must communicate with each other. It is essential that stakeholders have a clear understanding of what decarbonisation is. I still encounter business leaders today who either don’t know what the circular economy is, or each of them has a narrow understanding. It’s the same with decarbonisation, the use of fossil fuels, climate change, because everyone understands these topics in their own way.” – taught by Ž. Stasiškienė.

A particularly large role in reducing the amount of emissions into the environment in the future is expected for companies that develop and implement low-carbon technologies.

According to Ž. Ladies and gentlemen, many industries have a lot of responsibility today. In particular, it singles out the chemical industry, although changes are needed in all sectors: manufacturing, transport, even small and medium-sized enterprises.

“In Lithuania, companies are already implementing various pollution reduction solutions, although many of them are related to pollution capture. Trading permits for big companies is like a Trojan horse in my opinion. This is easier for them than solving climate change problems with optimization and technological solutions. A lot depends on the willingness of company managers to look for innovative solutions, not ways to pay for pollution,” – adds the scientist.

Important challenges for reducing industrial carbon emissions – find effective solutions, rethink financing, adapt to changing needs and costs. The report highlights specific areas where country engagement can have the greatest impact, such as policy formulation, technology implementation and operational efficiency improvements.

Finally, it argues for the importance of a common approach, integrating regulatory frameworks, innovative solutions and global cooperation.

in 2015 In the Paris Agreement, 195 members of the United Nations agreed by 2100. to limit the increase in global temperature to 2 degrees. The consequences of exceeding this threshold for temperature increase would be dramatic: sea levels would rise, forest fires would increase, we would experience more frequent natural rains and longer and more intense droughts. Therefore, such changes would have irreversible damage to both people and ecosystems.

Initially, the EU until 2030 committed to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 40% compared to 1990. level, also setting the goal by 2050. reduce CO2 emissions by 80-95 percent.

This bar was further raised in 2021 when the European Commission presented the EU’s Fit for 55 package under the European Green Deal. The targets set in these documents aim to reduce the EU’s net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to with the level of 1990. In order to achieve a climate neutrality by 2050, the consumption of clean and renewable energy must reach 60%.