Climate action in Bulgaria: Latest state of play

EU legislation requires Member States to adopt national energy and climate plans (NECPs) for the 2021-2030 period in order to contribute to the EU's binding climate and energy targets for 2030. Each individual final NECP has been assessed by the European Commission. The assessments were published in October 2020. A high proportion of Bulgarians (61 %) expect national governments to tackle climate change. Bulgaria submitted its final NECP in March 2020, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Commission on the draft report. In the1990s, Bulgaria experienced structural economic changes relating to its transition to a market-based economy. In 1990, the country accounted for total emissions of 103 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent (MtCO2e) (excluding land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) and including international aviation). In 2005, its total GHG emissions decreased by 37 % compared with 1990, while in 2019 they were 44 % below the 1990 level. Bulgaria's NECP identifies several reasons for the reduction in total GHG emissions. These include: structural changes in industry, such as the decline in energy-intensive enterprises, an increased share of hydro and nuclear electricity, implementation of energy efficiency measures in the housing sector, and a shift from solid and liquid fuels to natural gas in energy consumption. However, according to the country report under the 2020 European Semester, Bulgaria is the most GHG-intensive economy in the European Union, and coal is still the main source of energy. This briefing is one in a series which will cover all EU Member States.