Parliament Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov Friday told a conference in Sofia on Bulgarian energy strategy and security that "the future of Bulgarian energy should be viewed as a civilizational choice".
The green transition has large-scale moral dimensions, achieving a better, fairer and more sustainable future, Zhelyazkov said. "The long-term advantages and benefits of the green transition are undoubted, but we politicians are also expressing our concern and we must also take into account the concerns of those who are worried about the closure of coal plants, the loss of jobs or rising energy prices," he said.
Institutions should not just develop yet another plan for energy and climate policies, a national consensus is needed on where the funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, from the Just Transition Mechanism to be most wisely invested and how European budgets should be invested so that compensation is provided for those sectors where prices will outpace incomes, Zhelyazkov noted.
Difficulties and challenges must be shared and borne in solidarity. Europe cannot and must not afford to go through these gigantic changes without ensuring conditions for a fair transition, Zhelyazkov added.
According to him, Bulgaria's energy future is a topic of increasingly in-depth and critical discussions. Speaking of energy strategy and energy security plan, he outlined a few key messages: achieving broad public consensus on the draft strategy for sustainable energy development in Bulgaria with a horizon to 2050; security of energy supply and grid infrastructure; sustainable use of local energy resources; decentralisation; energy efficiency; strong focus on new technologies, nuclear energy development, among others. One of the main challenges is the transition to low-carbon energy, he believes.
Of utmost importance for Bulgaria is the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which projects nearly 60% of all financial resources for green transition and transformation measures to support climate goals by 2026, the Parliament Chair added.
The conference was organized by Tsvetelina Penkova MEP (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament) with the participation of government officials, researchers and businesses. It sought to present Bulgarian innovations in the field of renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable practices.
/MR/
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