László Palkovics, Minister of Innovation and Technology, said Hungary is prepared to honor its environmental commitments for 2050 and has undertaken investments to improve its energy efficiency and to increase the ratio of its sustainable energy resources.
During his address to a central European conference on energy in Bratislava, Minister Palkovics said solar energy was in the forefront of Hungary’s plans to boost sustainable energy resources. Solar energy production capacity is currently at 2.6 GW, and the government is planning to ramp it up to 6 GW by 2030, he said. Minister Palkovics also called for “clean, fully carbon-free nuclear energy” to be recognized as green energy. Nuclear and solar energy production is key in improving the efficiency of Hungarian energy production, he said. Hungary will continue to resist the European Union’s aim to expand its emissions trading system to areas directly impacting private users, such as heating private homes and the use of private cars, he said. The issue is one of the most important topics of the Bratislava conference, he said. Palkovics also noted that KPMG’s Net Zero Readiness Index has put Hungary at 13th place, with the regulatory environment among the top 5 worldwide. Hungary’s economy, industry and society are ready to fulfil the 2050 commitments, he said.
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