Environmental protection has costs that will be reflected in amortisation and product prices, and investments can not be made without impact analysis, says Environment Minister Tánczos Barna at the Romanian Energy Symposium – SIREN 2021, organized by CNR-CME.
“We are not talking about an industrial revolution, but about the environmental protection revolution. Both energy production, and agricultural activity, and housing activity have implications on environmental protection. And everything that will happen in the coming decades will be analyzed in terms of the effect on environmental protection. Everything that has been said so far, about new technologies, from a new vision, starts from the impact of these energy productions. The days we live in mean a new revolution, a new philosophy, in everything that means education, investments, functional systems, systems with an impact on environmental protection,” said the Minister of Environment, Tánczos Barna.
“We have seen in recent days what climate change means and what impact it has on our daily lives, including in countries that have said they have solved all their problems and have been caring for nature for decades. We have seen in Germany, in Belgium, in countries where wood has not been stolen, the forest has not been exploited, what impact can changes or floods have – in countries that have had well-developed systems against floods for years,” added the minister of Environment.
“Even in the field of energy, the analysis starts from the impact on the environment… Certainly the first impact has been seen: the most polluting capacities have been closed and will be closed. Here we are talking about fossils – primarily coal. These capacities must be replaced and we must come up with alternatives,” Barna added.
In the context of the transition, Romania can benefit from the new funds, but “everything that means environmental protection costs”, both as investments and as a priority of funds.
“These investments cost,… although, little by little, they will turn into amortisation and will be included in the price of the products. This cost will have to be borne by someone … and the costs must be bearable … We want to support households,” he added.
He stressed the need for economic impact analysis. “All the systems that were not designed and made following economic impact analyzes have suffered. Budgets, long-term trends and consumers will be affected.”