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Reuters (6 July 2017)

Most European Union countries lack a clear strategy for redirecting public and private funds towards more sustainable investments as they shift to a low-carbon economy, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said Thursday.

"Only a few European countries have turned their climate and energy objectives into concrete investment needs and plans to date," it said as it released a new study.

It noted that only Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, and to some extent, Germany have a national strategy in place to track spending related to climate mitigation and adaption.

The EU estimates it should have investments of around 177 billion euros ($200 billion) per year from 2021-2030 to meet climate and energy targets, which will require a doubling of current investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

"The study identifies a lack of country-level preparedness and information regarding estimated total investment needs, as well as their current and planned expenditure volumes for climate and energy purposes," the EEA said.

(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)