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A chaotic climate transition could mean significant losses to Romania, both in terms of competitiveness against other countries in the region and attracting investments, as well as in terms of implementing sustainable projects and creating multiplying effects in the economy, reads a report called "Containing the impact of climate change: an integrated approach for Romania."
The report, which was released on Thursday, is available on the official website of the Presidential Administration and it is under public debate for 30 days.
The document presents an analysis of Romania's challenges with its transition to green energy. According to the report, six counties collectively responsible for 65% of Romania's greenhouse gas emissions will be the most affected as far as the green transition goes: Hunedoara, Gorj, Dolj, Prahova, Galati and Mures.
In fact, they are beneficiaries of European funds included in the Just Transition Mechanism to mitigate the negative impact of the transition.
"Thus, in the most ambitious scenario from the climate point of view (according to the European Green Deal), by 2030 around 1,500 jobs would be lost in Dolj, 3,400 jobs in Gorj, 1,500 in Hunedoara and approximately 500 in Galati. In Mures, the European Green Deal, although it would not have a significant impact on jobs, would bring with it more economic activity in the industrial production and construction sector, which would compensate for the losses in the energy and public utilities sector. Prahova would lose 2,000 jobs," reads the report.
According to the same document, "in 2021, Romania faced a record number of nowcasting severe weather warnings (the so-called 'code red' alerts) issued by the National Weather Administration (ANM), and specialists warn that these will become more and more frequent amidst climate change."
Thus, "the orderly progress of the climate transition will require taking up guidelines to be followed until 2030 and 2050, regardless of the parties in power."
"Major changes in direction along the way and hesitations can lead to a messy transition. A cross-party pact is therefore important for the implementation of the measures in this report. The report includes measures in which central public institutions play an essential role in implementation, as implementing actors or as catalysts, conductors of the actions of local public authorities, NGOs, corporations."
Given the rapid pace of climate change and the new European policies in the area, "it is important for Romania to come up with a consistent and integrated national response."
"As a central part of the solution, the development of new public policies or the adjustment of existing ones can be distinguished in order to contain the unfavorable impact of the green transition and maximise the benefits of the green recovery process. For this to happen, data are needed, data that are correctly collected, verified and easily available to those who have to make decisions or put forth public policies," the authors of the report point out.
Thus, the energy transition "should generate fair results for the workers in the most affected industries and for the communities they belong to, but also for the rest of society potentially negatively affected by chaotic economic transformations."
"Procedurally, the just energy transition is the information, consultation and involvement of communities and social groups affected in the transition process and in the public response actions planned within this process," the report also shows. AGERPRES
