Four ways climate policy continuity can contribute to a competitive and resilient EU

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues that maintaining climate policy continuity in the EU can enhance energy security, reduce costs for citizens, increase global competitiveness, and create employment opportunities, provided it is paired with robust social policies.

• Public support for climate action remains strong in the EU despite a rightward shift in the June 2024 European Parliament elections. A Eurobarometer survey found that 77% of EU citizens view climate change as a "very serious problem," and 68.5% of voters listed climate action as a top priority.
• Climate policies and the RePowerEU Plan have significantly improved EU energy security by reducing reliance on Russian fuels. In 2023, EU gas imports from Russia dropped to 15%, down from 45% in 2021, and renewables accounted for 44% of electricity generation in 2023.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggests that implementing climate measures aligned with the Fit for 55 package—which targets a minimum 55% emissions reduction by 2030 compared to 1990 levels—would improve energy security by nearly 8% over that period.
• Renewable energy has provided substantial cost savings for EU consumers. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that wind and solar power replacing fossil fuel generation saved EU electricity consumers approximately EUR 100 billion between 2021 and 2023.
• The IEA projects that if ambitious Net Zero Emissions scenarios are achieved, electricity prices by 2030 will be 22% lower for EU households and approximately 14% lower for EU industry compared to 2022 levels.
• The EU is competing with China and the US in a "race to the top" for net zero technology. The Net Zero Industry Act aims for green technologies produced within the EU to account for at least 40% of EU deployment by 2030 to increase competitiveness and energy independence.
• The green transition is expected to create up to 1 million new jobs in the EU by 2030. The IEA forecasts annual growth in high-skilled energy positions of 6.6% and medium-skilled jobs of 7.8% between 2022 and 2030.

APA

Team, Z. (2024). Four ways climate policy continuity can contribute to a competitive and resilient EU. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/policy/four-ways-climate-policy-continuity-can-contribute-to-a-competitive-and-resilient-eu/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. Four ways climate policy continuity can contribute to a competitive and resilient EU. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2024. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/policy/four-ways-climate-policy-continuity-can-contribute-to-a-competitive-and-resilient-eu/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=Four ways climate policy continuity can contribute to a competitive and resilient EU |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=11 June 2024 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/policy/four-ways-climate-policy-continuity-can-contribute-to-a-competitive-and-resilient-eu/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2024four, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{Four ways climate policy continuity can contribute to a competitive and resilient EU}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/policy/four-ways-climate-policy-continuity-can-contribute-to-a-competitive-and-resilient-eu/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }