Putin’s war shows EU must embrace renewables and ditch fossil fuels to reach energy independence

Press release 8.3.2022

Today, ahead of the debate in the European Parliament on energy independence, the European Commission has published its Communication “Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy”.

Ville Niinistö, Greens/EFA Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, comments:

“Putin’s war shows us how urgently the European Union needs to achieve energy independence. It is in the EU’s hands to decide whether it will remain energy dependent on despotic rulers. We call on the Commission to massively accelerate the move to one hundred percent renewable energy. 

“RepowerEU should be an emergency energy plan aiming for one hundred percent renewable energies with a programme for the use of solar and wind energy and the installation of heat pumps and insulation.

“When it comes to rapid investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy, the Commission’s plans fall short and fail to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.  Instead, the proposed actions to diversify supplies would take years to build, create further lock-in and will not be ready before next winter. While the Commission has us twiddling our thumbs while waiting for the next energy communication, we are losing precious time.”

Bas Eickhout, Greens/EFA Vice-Chair of the Environment Committee, comments:

”Energy policy is security policy. A united and energy-independent EU derails Putin’s imperial power fantasies. We must make ourselves independent from coal, oil and gas and invest massively in renewable energies. The Commission sent an ambitious message today, but unfortunately lacks any concrete measures related to renewables and energy efficiency. 

“The European Energy Union must make us independent from fossil fuels, promote energy efficiency and be socially just. At a time when billions are being invested in military spending, we must invest in our energy independence with the same political determination. The EU needs to demand that Member States will invest a minimum of one percent of their GDP in reducing energy consumption. Furthermore, Putin’s war clearly shows that betting on fossil gas as a transitional fuel is a grave mistake. The Commission should urgently revise all its scenarios and withdraw its draft delegated act that currently includes fossil gas and nuclear in the EU Taxonomy.”