Bridging the Planning Gap: Transforming European NECPs to Deliver on Climate Targets

The policy brief identifies a "planning gap" in Europe where national 2030 plans are disconnected from geopolitical realities and the long-term goal of 2050 climate neutrality. It recommends that EU Member States use the June 2024 NECP update deadline to implement a more comprehensive planning approach. Key recommendations include diversifying technology bets beyond renewables to include carbon capture and advanced nuclear, integrating land-use and social analysis into infrastructure planning, providing financial transparency to attract investment, and coordinating cross-border energy import strategies.

• The 2019 NECP process was found by the European Commission and the European Court of Auditors to be insufficient in terms of detail, consistency, and policy and investment clarity, and lacked the ambition necessary to meet climate targets.
• CATF identifies a "planning gap" in Europe characterized by national 2030 plans that do not align with geoeconomic and geopolitical realities or actual emissions reductions, and a lack of a detailed pathway toward 2050 climate neutrality.
• To increase the probability of successful decarbonization, Member States should adopt an options-based strategy that includes zero-carbon fuels, carbon capture and removal, and clean firm energy technologies such as superhot rock geothermal and advanced nuclear, alongside renewables.
• NECPs should be used to provide investor certainty by defining funding sources and estimating costs through 2030, while promoting mechanisms such as power purchase agreements and carbon contracts for difference.
• Member States are encouraged to develop energy import strategies and cross-border infrastructure in coordination with trading partners and neighbors to ensure energy security and diversify supply.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Bridging the Planning Gap: Transforming European NECPs to Deliver on Climate Targets. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/12160809/necp-synthesis.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Bridging the Planning Gap: Transforming European NECPs to Deliver on Climate Targets. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/12160809/necp-synthesis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Bridging the Planning Gap: Transforming European NECPs to Deliver on Climate Targets |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/12160809/necp-synthesis.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendbridging, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Bridging the Planning Gap: Transforming European NECPs to Deliver on Climate Targets}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/12160809/necp-synthesis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }