Europe Must Quickly Shift to Renewables After the Russia-Ukraine War
Russia provides 35% of the natural gas used in the European Union as countries such as the Netherlands and Germany have reduced domestic fossil fuel production in recent decades — whether due to depleted reserves or environmental policies — Europe has increasingly relied on cheap and abundant imports of Russian natural gas, which is critical for electricity and heating.
The risks of that dependence—long a source of concern for Russian hawks in the U.S. and Europe—have been crystallizing for months.
Natural gas prices nearly tripled last year after demand spiked following the end of pandemic lockdowns, plunging Europe into its most severe energy crisis since the 1970s. The International Energy Agency says Russia has already worsened the situation by deliberately squeezing gas exports.
A military conflict over Ukraine may choke supply even further, spelling some painful months, or even years, for Europe.
But some environmentalists see a silver lining here: this moment could, they argue, spark broad rethinking of Europe’s energy strategy, with a daring new goal: getting Europe off Russian gas as quickly and thoroughly as possible and to expedite Europe’s shift to renewables. Transitioning to green energy is their priority to stop the funding of the Russian army.
Experts say that if Europe wishes to avoid geopolitical dangers of this magnitude, it must rapidly decrease its reliance on natural gas.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine should be a real catalyst to rethink the use of gas in Europe.
In the medium term, some experts argue that diversifying gas supplies, mainly imported LNG supplied through floating terminals, is required if the EU is to rapidly wean itself from Russian hydrocarbons, while others argue that aggressive decarbonization may also be undertaken.
Developing a power system based on low-cost, low-risk renewables provides the potential to eventually achieve energy self-sufficiency.
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