The Ministry for Innovation and Technology has published the documents of the recently adopted Energy and Climate Policy Strategy on the government website.

Conservation and adapting to climate change are priority goals for Hungary in view of the fact that all of us would like clean water, purer air and a cleaner environment. Combatting climate change can be achieved through action, not words, and this is what the Hungarian government is doing. We are moving consequently towards the targets set own for 2030, by which time 90 percent of electricity production in Hungary will be carbon neutral. And the goal by 2050 is to achieve climate neutral emissions, but the cost of this must be paid by the largest polluters. The Ministry will be drawing up the long-term, comprehensive National Clean Development Strategy, which is necessary for achieving climate neutrality by 2050, by the end of this year.

Hungary is one of only 21 countries in the world in which the gross domestic product has increased since 2000, while at the same time carbon dioxide emissions and energy use have fallen, by 32 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Since 2010, the Hungarian economy has been capable of producing one unit of GDP while emitting 24 percent fewer greenhouse gasses. Accordingly, Hungary is not only one of Europe’s frontrunners with relation to economic growth, but is also performing exemplary practices within the field of climate protection.

The Hungarian government agrees with the European Union’s targets for 2030, because we have the related EU action plan, and the resources required to fulfil the undertakings are also available. The government’s commitment to increase the ratio of carbon neutral electricity production to 90 percent by 2030 is ambitious even by European Union standards. We wish to achieve this through maintaining nuclear capacities at their current level, promoting renewable energy production, and via a comprehensive transport greening programme.

At December’s session of the European Council, Hungary supported the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050. Some 50 trillion forints (EUR 148 billion) would be required for Hungary to have carbon neutral electricity production, totally replace the use of natural gas and place its transport on a fully electric foundation. which equates to around 2 to 2.5 percent of GDP-a-year. For this reason, the conditions of the Hungarian government include the fact that the majority of the related costs must be borne by countries and large corporations that are the greatest polluters and damagers of the climate, that the energy and food expenditure of families must not increase, that monies should not be taken away and reshuffled for climate protection purposes from the cohesion funding due to countries, and that nuclear energy should be part of the solution to climate-related problems.

In addition to the strategic documents, the Ministry has also published the results of the climate policy questionnaire launched at the end of last year. Based on the opinion of the almost two hundred thousand people who filled out the questionnaire, it may be stated that the Hungarians share the government’s position with relation to climate, with 92 percent of respondents supporting the fact that Hungary should become climate neutral by 2050.

The government’s goal is to provide clean, intelligent and affordable energy services to Hungarian consumers. Its priority goals include maintaining the security of the energy supply, preserving the results of the cut in utility costs, the climate friendly reorganisation of the energy sector, and promoting innovation opportunities that are significant with relation to developing the economy. Through the combined use of two clean energy sources, solar power and nuclear energy, 90 percent of the country’s electricity production could be carbon dioxide-free by 2030. By 2040, we plan to reduce the ratio of Hungarian electricity imports to under 20 percent from their current level of 30 percent.

In the interests of protecting the created world and our environmental heritage, the reduction of greenhouse gas emission by at least 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 is an important target. We also undertake to increase the ration of renewable energy sources within our energy use to at least 21 percent from the current 13 percent by 2030. We are greening the district heating sector and making it more competitive, and are moving public transport in an environmentally friendly direction. Based on the adopted documents, the Ministry will be drawing up the long-term, comprehensive National Clean Development Strategy, which is necessary for achieving climate neutrality by 2050, by the end of this year.

The climate and energy strategy documents are available here in Hungarian.

(MTI)