November 3 (SeeNews) - Croatia aims to phase out coal in energy production by 2033 at the latest, prime minister Andrej Plenkovic said.
“Our coal phase-out year is 2033, but we will push to do it even earlier,” Plenkovic said on Tuesday, according to the text of his address to the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow published on the government's website.
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“With its 2030-target for renewables amounting to just above 39% in final consumption, Croatia surpasses Europe’s goal of 32%. We aim to have more than 65% of renewables and 100% low-carbon in final production,” Plenkovic added.
Croatia is the 21st European country to commit to ending the use of coal power since the signing of Paris Agreement in 2016, civil alliance Europe Beyond Coal said in a statement following Plenkovic's announcement.
“Croatia’s announcement of a 2033 or sooner coal phase out is a welcome addition to the start of COP26,” Kathrin Gutmann, Europe Beyond Coal campaign director, said in the statement.
“Coal closures are accelerating across Europe at a tremendous pace, and we fully expect Croatia to say goodbye to coal by 2030 at the latest, like all other responsible European countries. Focusing on the transition to a fossil-free, fully renewable energy based power sector by 2035 is the smartest way forward for Europe, and sunny Croatia can set a great example of how to replace coal with renewable energy,” Gutmann added.
Europe Beyond Coal is an alliance of civil society groups working to accelerate the closures of coal mines and coal-fired power plants, prevent the construction of any new coal projects and speed up the just transition to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
“Croatia’s Plomin power plant is responsible for almost 40 percent of CO2 emissions from the country’s largest electricity utility. To avoid surging energy prices, it is essential that it is replaced with renewable energy within the next five years,” Bernard Ivcic from Zelena Akcija – Friends of the Earth Croatia said in the statement.
A total of 16 European countries are now coal-free, or have official coal phase out dates of 2030 at the very latest. A further five including Croatia have coal phase out dates after 2030.
“Critically, the coal phase out must not mean a pivot to false solutions such as fossil gas or nuclear energy. Croatia has enormous renewable energy potential, especially solar. Together with increasing energy efficiency, this is the way forward," Zoran Tomic, Director at Greenpeace CEE, Croatia and Slovenia, said in the statement.