Energy transition? You can save 34,000 lives and 8,500 million a year

A energy transition in Europe can save 34,000 lives and generate 826 billion euros per year by 2030, 8.5 billion in Portugal alone, indicates a study released today.

According to the document, with energy saving measures, the EUR 826 billion by 2030 can rise to almost two billion euros per year by 2050.

The study of the “Plan4Climate” coalition (a European environmental project) and the Europe Climate Action Network (CAN Europe, the largest network of non-governmental environmental organisations), quantifies “the benefits of climate action that are often lacking in the cost-based debates of transition.”.

Less energy expenditure, new jobs, better health, fewer days of work lost due to illness and global weather damage avoided are the benefits, referred to in a statement on the study and today released by Environmentalist Association Zero, which is part of the entities responsible for the report.

According to the document, energy saving measures can bring more than 8.5 million full-time jobs to Europe by 2030, including around 6.5 million in building construction and renovation.

In addition to preventing 34,000 premature deaths, approximately 8,000 hospital admissions are also avoided each year and 3.3 million days of sick leave, thanks to the reduction of air pollution.

The analysis, of more than 60 pages, includes results per country, pointing out that the 8.5 billion that Portugal can generate in co-benefits (additional positive impacts resulting from an intervention, in addition to the main benefit) by 2030 is a value equivalent to 2.45% of GDP of 2025.

“ By 2050, co-benefits can reach EUR 28.6 billion annually, i.e. 8.25% of the wealth produced all over last year,” says Zero’s press release.

Citing the report, the association points out that the main argument for Portugal to accelerate the energy transition is the reduction of the energy price, and the reduction of energy costs can reach 280 euros per person in 2030 and 1,069 euros per person in 2050.

“ This makes climate action directly relevant to families and to combating energy poverty. These gains are added to the overall weather damage avoided, estimated at EUR 279 per person in 2030 and EUR 1,282 per person in 2050”, he adds.

Applied to Portugal, the study indicates other benefits of the transition, explaining that by 2030 energy saving measures can prevent 678 premature deaths per year, and it can also be avoided the loss of about 66 thousand days of work per disease.

Zero says that the 2027 state budget, presented last week, should be improved in the coming weeks, incorporating measures with funding and quantified targets that accelerate a fair energy transition in heavy freight and passenger transport, in industry and in buildings.

The report recalls that continued dependence on fossil fuels also has high costs. In 2025, it says, the European Union spent about EUR 340 billion on fossil fuel imports, while the climate investment deficit was EUR 344 billion.