While modern district heating systems can significantly contribute to the integration of renewable energy in order to decarbonise our energy system, many of the existing systems in Central and Eastern Europe are still highly inefficient and heavily reliant on fossil fuels, such as oil, fossil gas or coal.
It has been five years since the UN Paris Climate Agreement, and in that short time, half of Europe’s coal plants have closed, or have announced pre-2030 closure plans. 2030 is now the key date for coal in Europe and the OECD, as it’s the latest possible moment these countries can close their coal plants and still meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
We're running out of time to address climate change, and while the EU is doing more and more to act on it and clean up industry, one of its key laws to cut industrial pollution does not cover carbon emissions! This has to change, and we have an opportunity to do it right now!