Away from Russian gas: Germany and Europe must swap their dependencies on fossil fuels for green energy partnerships Analysis 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. By Sascha Müller-Kraenner and Constantin Zerger
Smart sanctions and how to diminish Europe’s dependency on Russian gas Commentary 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. By Daniel Gros
The EU must do more to stop funding the Russian war in Ukraine! Interview 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. By Robert Sperfeld
Ending Russia's war of aggression with economic and energy policy options Commentary 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. By Walter Kaufmann
Energy efficiency is the best choice for Europe’s energy sovereignty! Commentary 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. By Jutta Paulus
The end of energy resource imports from Russia? Commentary 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. By Dr. Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera and Dr. Aleksandra Gawlikowska-Fyk
A Russian oil embargo: objectives and possible impacts Analysis 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. By Dr. Janis Kluge
The fossil fuel industry has a stake in the majority of known carbon dioxide removal technologies' projects Analysis The fossil fuel industry tries to present carbon dioxide removal technologies as a safe and effective technical solution to climate problems. However, they have not been proven to be safe and effective. Although the technologies have been extensively subsidized and promoted for several decades – with both public and private funding – there has been no significant progress in their development. Many projects have been abandoned due to high costs or technical problems. By Anja Chalmin
Methane Leakages from Oil and Gas Across Europe | COP26 Event recording Methane is the second biggest contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for about 0.5°C of human-caused global heating so far. One of the main emitters of the powerful greenhouse gas is the oil and gas sector, where methane can leak across the whole supply chain – during extraction, transport, storage and use. The extent to which such leakages occur is only vaguely known, with companies often reporting emissions only on the basis of calculations as opposed to actual measurements. Where measurements are being done, they often show higher emission rates than previously anticipated.
Energy Atlas 2018 Atlas The Energy Atlas provides a compass on the differing energy discussions in Europe and also reveals how a Europeanization of the energy transition is the more efficient and cost-effective option for all Europeans.