site.btaDeputy Energy Minister: Updated Energy and Climate Plan Focuses on Policies to Support Science, Innovation

The update of the Integrated National Climate and Energy Plan focuses on policies and measures to support science and innovation, said Deputy Energy Minister Iva Petrova during a conference titled "Science and Innovations in Support of Climate, Sustainability, and Citizens" on Thursday. The event was organized and hosted by the Faculty of Economics and the National Centre for Polar Research at Sofia University.

"As a lesson, we have learned that we have underestimated the scale of the challenge we face in curbing climate change and a profound economic transformation is needed in industry, the service sector, households," Petrova said.

Our sector is responsible for the regulatory framework, the shift toward simplification of permitting procedures for investments in the process of transformation. The cost of energy is proving critical to keeping European industry competitive. More than a trillion euro a year will be needed for investments in the coming decade, while the public resources provided seem to be woefully insufficient and the only way out is to structure real public-private partnerships,” the Deputy Energy Minister pointed out.