Open Letter: Updated national Long-Term Strategies needed
Posted on June, 13 2024
WWF and 21 other organisations have sent an open letter to the European Commission, encouraging the institution to push EU Member States to update their national Long Term Strategies (nLTS) along with the revision of their National Energy & Climate Plans (NECPs) which is currently taking place. As the NECPs only outline a plan towards 2030, the nLTS provides a complementary 30-year perspective. They are critical to enabling countries, regions, economic sectors and businesses to plan ahead, avoid wasting money on stranded assets, and ensure a just transition for all in the EU.
The letter highlights the critical reasons for Member States to update their strategies and calls on the European Commission’s Directors-General for Energy, Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, and for Climate, Kurt Vandenberghe, to issue guidance on how best to achieve this.
“Since the first national Long-Term Strategies were submitted, the world has changed dramatically: we are facing an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis and new climate & energy targets. Waiting until 2029 for Member States to update their Long-Term Strategies is high risk, and the exhortation in the Governance Regulation that Member States update those strategies every five years “where necessary” is clearly now applicable,” said Michael Sicaud-Clyet, Climate & Energy Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office.
“Together with over 20 organisations, we are asking the Commission to invite the Member States to update their national Long-Term Strategies in 2025, as set out in the Governance Regulation. We also ask the Commission to draft and publish guidance for them on how to do so, as they did for the update of National Energy & Climate Plans. Finally, we urge the Commission to prepare a revised version of the EU’s own Long-Term Strategy, which is clearly outdated and no longer fit for purpose. The EU and its Member States have set the final destination, but if they’re using outdated roadmaps they risk getting hopelessly lost en route” concluded Michael Sicaud-Clyet.
“Since the first national Long-Term Strategies were submitted, the world has changed dramatically: we are facing an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis and new climate & energy targets. Waiting until 2029 for Member States to update their Long-Term Strategies is high risk, and the exhortation in the Governance Regulation that Member States update those strategies every five years “where necessary” is clearly now applicable,” said Michael Sicaud-Clyet, Climate & Energy Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office.
“Together with over 20 organisations, we are asking the Commission to invite the Member States to update their national Long-Term Strategies in 2025, as set out in the Governance Regulation. We also ask the Commission to draft and publish guidance for them on how to do so, as they did for the update of National Energy & Climate Plans. Finally, we urge the Commission to prepare a revised version of the EU’s own Long-Term Strategy, which is clearly outdated and no longer fit for purpose. The EU and its Member States have set the final destination, but if they’re using outdated roadmaps they risk getting hopelessly lost en route” concluded Michael Sicaud-Clyet.
Contact
Florian Cassier
Climate Communications Officer
fcassier@wwf.eu
+32 479 33 92 11
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