ESWET strongly supports the European Net Zero Alliance (ENZA)’s “100 Measures for 100 Days” report addressed to the new European Commission.  

As a member of the Alliance, ESWET endorses the paper’s recommendations to inform key policy initiatives during the first 100 days of the EU executive branch. The report provides the new Commissioners with 100 solutions and recommendations to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero future.

The Commission took office on 1 December 2024 – for the next five years, it will be responsible for setting EU policies, working on political priorities, drafting laws, among a variety of other tasks.   

Waste-to-Energy (WtE) is part and parcel of the strategies proposed by ENZA – all recommendations aim at advancing the green transition, enhancing energy security, ensuring the affordability and competitiveness of Europe’s energy transition. 

The ENZA report: 

• Highlights WtE’s capacity to achieve negative emissions through Carbon Capture, Ulitsation and Storage (CCUS)
• Emphasises WtE’s role in providing a constant energy supply and reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels. 

The report additionally calls for:

• WtE to be recognised as a sustainable, affordable and secure source of energy and secondary materials
• A stronger enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the waste hierarchy is respected, prioritising waste prevention, recycling, and energy recovery over landfilling
• Policy support for carbon capture. Increased policy and financial backing for integrating carbon capture can position sectors such as WtE, bioenergy, and pulp and paper, as a net-negative emissions solution. 

Click here for the “100 Measures for 100 Days” report

The European Net Zero Alliance (ENZA) is a coalition of 24 likeminded European associations from across different economic and industrial sectors. The Alliance was born from the commitment to deliver climate neutrality by 2050 and the energy transition through a common approach.  

In their words, ENZA partners are committed to “the achievement of climate neutrality in the EU by 2050 at the latest, through clear and identifiable achievement of the 2030 and intermediate energy and climate objectives that will help manage our common carbon budget in a cost-effective way.”