Is Romania the Climate Change Success Story Europe Needs?
The Trend is Irreversible
Romania has achieved something remarkable: it has broken the link between economic growth and high emissions. Once a country synonymous with pollution and industrial decline, Romania has become a shining example of how economic growth can be achieved without environmental degradation. But how did they do it, and can the rest of Europe follow suit?
A History of Industrial Pollution
Under the oppressive rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu, Romania's economy became heavily industrialised and polluted. Factories and power plants were built rapidly, and the country relied on low-grade lignite and heavy oil to fuel its growth. However, when Ceaușescu was overthrown and the economy was privatised, factories closed, mines shut, and power plants reduced their output.
The Kyoto Protocol and the EU
At the same time, world leaders were beginning to recognise the impact of carbon dioxide on the planet. The signatories of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, aware that emissions needed to fall but mindful that developing countries deserved to grow richer, only imposed reduction targets on industrialised countries. This set a benchmark for measuring progress.
Romania's entry into the European Union in 2007 was a turning point. Polluters were held to higher standards, and unprofitable factories propped up by state support were forced to close. The EU's emissions trading system put a price on carbon, and its modernisation fund brought cash to clean up the energy system. Meanwhile, workers completed a nuclear power plant and the government introduced a green certificate scheme to bankroll renewables.
The Shift to a Service-Based Economy
The shift to a service-based economy also led to upheavals in agriculture, where livestock numbers fell and farms modernised or closed. Beleaguered forests got a respite from high levels of logging under communism and expanded onto abandoned plots. The amount of carbon absorbed by nature increased by 77%.
The Benefits and Challenges
The changes have resulted in Romania decoupling at one of the fastest rates in Europe, even when measured from the turn of the millennium. However, the benefits of its economic boom have not been evenly shared. Entire communities have withered after workers lost their jobs in factories and mines. Former coal towns have depopulated at alarming rates as young people sought better-paid work abroad.
The Clean Energy Boom
Romania's clean energy boom has been marred by the beating that climate policy has taken in much of the rich world. The US has embraced a return to fossil fuels, while the EU has begun to tear up parts of its Green Deal. Despite this, Romania's dash for gas has angered campaigners who fear it will leave the country dirtier and poorer even as carbon prices rise and EU climate law compels faster action.
The Future of Romania's Energy Transition
What is unclear is whether Romania can keep up the pace. While the country has broken records for protecting the planet, its public appetite for transformational change is lacking. The share of Romanians who do not think climate breakdown is a serious problem is double the EU average. For all the caveats, Romania's journey could provide a blueprint for other countries in eastern Europe that have decoupled at a slower pace or not at all.
The Way Forward
While the clean energy boom is allowing developing countries to take greener growth paths than Europe and North America, there is still a level of development that can only be reached by raising energy consumption. Romania's success shows that middle-income countries across Asia and South America can cut their emissions quickly while raising living standards. However, it should not be seen as a blueprint for all countries, as the transition was brutal for many people, and the country still faces challenges in balancing economic growth and environmental protection.
