Fossil fuels

The Belem climate summit fell short of the progress needed to keep warming below 1.5°C. The EU’s emissions reduction plans for 2035 also remain insufficient. The EU can begin to address this by developing a clear roadmap to phase out fossil fuels.

Something sounds awry about the term ‘twin transition’. The concept, often used in EU or UN contexts, ties two crucial transitions: the move to renewable energy and the digitalisation of economies. While it sounds forward thinking, evidence suggests this pairing may be less beneficial than promised. As developing countries bear the socio-environmental costs while reaping limited benefits, a handful of tech giants continue to dominate global markets. Paz Peña raises a crucial question: is this ‘transition’ truly a path to equity, or does it deepen old divides under the guise of green progress?

Azerbaijan has strengthened its energy ties with the EU since 2022, ramping up gas deliveries and articulating ambitions to export renewable energy and green hydrogen to Europe in the future. However, the EU’s shrinking gas demand and Azerbaijan’s lack of a genuine decarbonization strategy cast uncertainty on the long-term prospects of this partnership.

As Europe approaches its parliamentary elections on 6-9 June 2024 and the war in Ukraine shows no sign of slowing, a pressing issue demands attention: the EU's continuing active participation in, and facilitation of, Russia's fossil fuel shipping and exports. This article delves into critical analysis and proposes strategies for reducing dependency on, and support of, the Russian fossil fuel industry, supported by data and statistics highlighting the impact of these exports on the Russian economy, the war in Ukraine and the global climate crisis.

Britain’s right-wing news outlets have sown doubt on the viability of net zero, and the government has pushed back targets and issued new licences for North Sea exploration. Hazel Healy explains how a group of influential think tanks whose donors and board members profit from fossil fuels have systematically undermined climate science and renewable technologies. Their connections to No 10 enable them to sway the Prime Minister and his ministers.

Though many authors write that captured CO2 can and is being safely buried deep underground in geologic formations or depleted oil and gas reservoirs, most articles fail to mention that the overwhelmingly single biggest use of all captured CO2 is to directly produce more oil.

The Inflation Reduction Act is seen as an expression of climate pragmatism by some and a Faustian bargain with the fossil fuel industry by others. What exactly is it?

After the German federal elections in September 2021, the Greens joined a government coalition with the Social Democrats and the Liberals. MdBs Dr. Anna Christmann and Claudia Müller are respectively the new Federal Government Coordinators of German Aerospace Policy, and for the Maritime Industry and for Tourism. Philipp Cerny and Martin Keim conducted a joint interview to find out more about their priorities and thoughts.

Energy prices in Europe have soared to new highs since the autumn of 2021, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine amplifying the trend and bringing energy supply to the forefront of conversations regarding the mitigation of impacts of the war on Europe. This study, based on data from Germany and Spain, shows that whilst electricity prices rose, so did the profits of energy companies. These developments were exacerbated by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine but are also symptomatic for wider issues within the European electricity market. Windfall profit taxation can help to soften the blow of high energy prices, but we also need longer term restructuring of the market mechanisms, argues Suzana Carp.

A new report by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union and Environmental Action Germany (DUH) finds that current EU energy supply policies run the risk of prolonging dependence on fossil gas rather than decisively moving towards alternatives, particularly in the heating sector.

Climate activists around the world are calling for an embargo on fossil fuels from Russia, because its profits are funding Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Climate policy expert Svitlana Romanko launched an ambitious campaign right after Russia's invasion began on 24 February 2022.

What longer-term, environmentally sustainable measures can the Czech Republic introduce to break its dependence on Russian gas while ensuring that no one is left behind?

The consequences of the war in Ukraine are palpable even in Bratislava, over a thousand kilometres from the border. Ukrainian is heard more often on the streets, cars with Ukrainian number plates are appearing on the roads, the windows of shops and apartments are festooned with Ukrainian flags, and the city is alive with marches and initiatives in support of Ukraine. The only thing that has remained unaffected is the flow of oil and gas from Russia to Slovakia, and our payments for it.

As Germany moves away from Russian energy imports, new dependencies on fossil energies must be avoided. The potential alternative from energy-saving, renewables and European cooperation offers excellent opportunities in the short, medium and long terms. But this will require new, green energy partnerships built on a new foundation of values.

The ongoing suffering of the civilian population in Ukraine has led to calls for the EU, or individual Member States, to stop imports of Russian gas. The economic consequences of such a step would be very severe in the short run. But there is another way, more gradual, which would minimise economic disruptions. The EU should simply impose a special import tariff on Russian gas. Repost courtesy of EUIdeas.

With the EU’s ongoing purchase of Russian energy resources, the regime that is responsible for the current barbaric war in Ukraine is guaranteed a constant cash flow.  Proponents of an embargo want to maximise the economic and financial pressure on Putin and withdraw financing from the Russian war machine.

The primary goal must be to stop the war of aggression on Ukraine launched by Russia on 24 February 2022. The sanctions of EU and NATO countries are currently in contrast to the dependence on Russian raw material and energy supplies. Hundreds of millions of euros flow from Germany to Russia every day, counteracting the effect of the sanctions. This should now be an incentive to reassess the costs of more radical fossil fuel exit scenarios in the shortest possible time under crisis conditions.

The inability to adequately sanction the criminal invasion of Ukraine by Russian President Putin painfully demonstrates Europe’s massive dependencies from fossil fuel imports. Phasing out fossil fuels is no longer “just” about fighting the climate crisis, but also a precondition for Europe’s energy sovereignty and price stability.

On February 24, Russia started the war in Ukraine. Nothing will be the same again. Russia's brutal attack made the ongoing conflict around energy resources all the more obvious. This article analyses what options Poland has to break its energy dependence on Russia.

The introduction of an oil embargo could significantly increase economic pressure on Russia. While the effect of an embargo on Russian military capabilities over the coming months would be minimal, it is unclear at present how long the war will last and whether it will spread beyond Ukraine. In the worst case, the West is currently financing a future war against itself.