Ten EU countries commit to stop burning fossil fuels by 2035

Ten countries from the European Union representing over 60% of the bloc’s electricity generation capacity have committed to exit fossil fuel generation by 2035 or sooner.

A new analysis published today by civil society campaign Beyond Fossil Fuels finds that ten EU countries – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands – have committed to move their power systems away from fossil fuels by 2035 or sooner – the date determined by the International Energy Agency for European nations to align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target.

Four of these ten – Austria, Denmark, Lithuania, and Luxembourg – have explicitly pledged to replace fossil fuel generation with renewables.

A further three EU Member States have made similar commitments but are not committed to exit fossil fuel use by 2035.

However, if those three countries – Portugal, Romania, and Sweden – were to pledge moving on from fossil fuels by 2035, over 70% of the EU’s electricity sector would then be committed to a 2035 exit date.

“It’s encouraging that many European governments share the ambition to usher in the fossil-free era by making 2035 power sector commitments,” said Tara Connolly, campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels.

“Now more need to follow suit. But respecting the 2035 time horizon is only part of the task. Governments need to be explicit in their commitment to phase out coal and gas, and fully replace them with renewables.”

The new analysis published by Beyond Fossil Fuels – Government 2035 Commitment Tracker – concludes that Austria, Denmark, Lithuania, and Luxembourg have all made commitments that align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target.

Commitments made by Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands, however, are not clear enough in their promises to replace fossil fuel usage with renewable energy.

Specifically, the report warns that nations must completely phase out fossil fuel usage and replace it with mature renewable energy technologies, avoiding power generation technologies which are either incompatible or simply not yet mature enough to guarantee complete phase out of fossil fuels.

Included in the bundle of incompatible or immature technologies defined by Beyond Fossil Fuels are the expansion of bioenergy, new nuclear energy, hydrogen produced using fossil fuels, and carbon capture utilisation and storage.

“Government power sector commitments are essential because they send a clear signal to industry and investors about the direction of a country’s climate action,” added Connolly.

“This provides certainty for planners, and drives down the cost of capital, sparking flows of vital finance for the energy transition. Only by being explicit about our intention to build a sustainable power system can we break free from the grip of unpredictable global fossil fuel markets and shape our power systems so that they truly serve people and the planet.”