Energy efficiency investments and climate protection measures are becoming impossible

The National Transport Industry Association of Private Entrepreneurs (NiT Hungary), the Hungarian Road Transport Association (MKFE), the Hungarian Railway Association (HUNGRAIL) and the Association of Hungarian Logistics Service Centers (MLSZKSZ) are asking the Parliament not to adopt the amendment to the 2015 Energy Efficiency Act in its current form. The legislation adopted ten years ago stipulated that in order to protect the climate, Hungary’s final energy consumption should not exceed the 2005 level by 2030. This would require a reduction in domestic energy consumption of around 7 petajoules.

Therefore, natural gas or electricity traders and universal service providers, as well as fuel users, must reduce their own energy consumption. They can achieve this by accounting for certified energy savings in the Energy Efficiency Obligation System (EKR), for example after thermal insulation, heating and lighting modernization, machine replacements or even after rail transportation of truck semi-trailers.

As of December this year, the number of certified energy savings recorded in the EKR system apparently covers the entire energy savings requirement required by 2030. In other words, companies obligated to save energy already have as many certified energy savings as they should have achieved by 2030. Therefore, from now on, these obligated companies will no longer obtain certified energy savings in the EKR system until 2030.

In reality, however, the climate goals are not being met because among the certified energy savings, there are also short-lived ones – typically activities that promote attitude formation – that do not count towards Hungary’s EU and national energy savings commitments. This only includes permanent, certified energy savings, such as insulation, heating upgrades, and the replacement of truck fleets with more modern ones.