Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has supercharged Europe’s green transition

‘Let’s dash into renewable energy at lightning speed’ European Green Deal commissioner, Frans Timmermans has said – with Russia’s actions providing fresh impetus, writes Saphora Smith

Moscow’s actions expose the need to shift to renewables, experts and politicians say (AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has had widespread consequences – not least having supercharged European Union efforts to shift towards renewable energy.

“Let’s dash into renewable energy at lightning speed,” said European Green Deal Commissioner, Frans Timmermans announcing Europe’s plans to reduce its dependency on Russian fossil fuels after the country’s invasion of Ukraine. “Putin’s war in Ukraine demonstrates the urgency of accelerating our clean energy transition.”

The European Union had already committed to a green transition because of the climate crisis, but energy security has now spelled out the need to go even faster. The proposal earlier this week aims to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with gas, and to reduce EU demand for Russian gas by two thirds before the end of the year.