National and regional capacity building

Lithuania has ratified the Paris Agreement and, together with other EU Member States, has made a binding commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all sectors of economy by at least 40% by 2030, compared to 1990.

Alongside reducing GHG emissions, the EU is also taking a leading position to adapt to the impacts of climate change and sets an even more ambitious target. By 2050, Europe aims to achieve net-zero GHG emissions and become climate-neutral society. Therefore, EU Member States are actively working to drastically reduce their GHG emissions and find ways of compensating for the remaining and unavoidable emissions to reach a net-zero emissions balance, thus preserving a healthy and clean environment and limiting global warming.

To ensure that climate goals are legally obliged to all EU Member States, EU has introduced a series of legislative proposals setting out how it intends to achieve climate neutrality in the EU by 2050. Following these legal requirements, Lithuania has adopted its national climate legislation. In addition to main strategic documents, Lithuania has also drawn up a National Energy and Climate Action Plan for the period 2021–2030 that sets high ambitious target to reduce GHG emissions as well as to achieve the cumulative amount of 27 TWh energy savings.

Achieving these goals is a serious challenge for Lithuania, requiring enormous efforts, financial resources, and close inter-institutional cooperation. Currently, the implementation of energy and climate policy actions is administered by several ministries (Energy, Environment, Economy and Innovation, Transport and Communications, Agriculture), which actively cooperate with other state and non-governmental organizations, scientific institutions, business companies and society on a daily basis.

Despite intense aligning actions in key areas, cooperation and coordination between different institutions remains insufficient. Lack of policy coherence, expert knowledge, involvement of social partners, advanced tools, and methods to systematically collect, organise and analise GHG emissions and energy efficiency data, it is difficult to successfully implement the measures for increasing energy efficiency as set in the National Energy and Climate Action Plan for the period 2021–2030. Another issue is financing as there is a lack of funds for the implementation of these political initiatives, and the possibilities of alternative sources of financing have not been used yet.

Thanks to LIFE IP EnerLIT, a set of innovative measures to ensure timely, evidence-based national climate policy formation and the achievement of energy efficiency goals, are being implemented under the framework of National Energy and Climate Action Plan for the period of 2021–2030.

Project activities in this area include following:

• Development of advanced database for monitoring of NECP measures.
• Improvement of modelling process.
• Coordination of NECP implementation.
• Assessment of NECP measures.
• Competency management of the staff of national and regional institutions.
• Networking with other LIFE and non-LIFE projects, experience exchange and transfer.

PARTNERS INVOLVED 

	Lithuanian Energy Agency coordinates the development of an advanced database for monitoring of NECP measures, improvement of modelling process, takes care of collection and processing of data for energy efficiency measures.
	Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for data and inputs concerning GHG emissions.
	Lithuanian Energy Institute is responsible for know-how, knowledge and skill transfer about bottom-up data collection and calculation to define energy savings of implemented measures, also energy modelling. LEI suggests tools to be used, provides guidance and support to raise modelling capacities of other partners, and helps to develop the structure of the model.
	Ministry of Energy is responsible for providing data about energy efficiency and renewable energy source development, GHG emission reduction measures (measures), other activities in the energy sector and inputs for database.
	Ministry of Environment is responsible for providing data about the building and environment sector, results of measures implemented, inputs for the database, GHG emissions reduction measures from different sectors and coordination between different partners possessing the data.
	Ministry of Transport and Communications is responsible for providing data about transport sector, results of measures implemented, inputs for the model.
	Ministry of Economy and Innovations is responsible for providing data about industry sector, results of measures implemented, inputs for the model.
	Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for providing data about agricultural sector, results of measures implemented, inputs for the model.
	Environmental Projects Management Agency coordinates the development of pilot competency model, organises trainings for project and social partners, networks with other LIFE and non-LIFE projects, takes care of the organisation of experience exchange events and stakeholder involvem
	Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania is responsible for coordination actions with municipalities and prepare analysis of GHG emissions in local level.

All project partners also participate in the development of pilot competency model and implementation of it at the level of their organisation, take part in trainings and other events as well as the revision and update of National Energy and Climate Action Plan for the period of 2021–2030.

The project “Improving energy efficiency in Lithuania” (No. LIFE20 IPC/LT/000002) has received funding from the European Union LIFE programme and the Republic of Lithuania. The content of this website is the sole responsibility of its authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.