Page 4 - EurOil Week 28 2022

EurOil COMMENTARY EurOil

EU deputy warns of “conflict

and strife” this winter amid

energy costs

The commission has in the past been the most vocal in pushing for an end to

fossil fuel use, but circumstances have changed.

EU THE EU’s second most senior official has an interview with the Guardian on July 8, Tim-
warned that the bloc runs the risk of “very, very mermans said that the threat of unrest this win-
WHAT: strong conflict and strife” this winter over the ter must take precedence over the climate crisis.
The second most senior high cost of energy, and in the short term, he “If our society descends into very, very strong
official in the EU has called for the EU to expand its supply of fossil conflict and strife because there is no energy,
warned of the risk of civil fuels to alleviate the crisis. we’re certainly not going to make our [climate]
unrest over energy costs In July last year, the EU passed its sweeping goals,” he said. “We’re certainly not going to get
this winter. Fit-for-55 climate package, aimed at rapidly where we need to get if the lack of energy leads to
reducing the use of oil, gas and coal and expand- strong disruption in our societies, and we need
WHY: ing the deployment of renewables and other to make sure people are not in the cold in the
Russia continues to low-carbon technologies, in order to reach its coming winter.”
cut back on gas supply, goal of reducing emissions by 55% by the end The EU must ensure that as much of its indus-
potentially meaning that of the decade. Less than a year later, however, try as possible continues running in spite of the
Europe will not have the bloc is now grappling with soaring energy crisis, and that failure to address the energy crisis
enough left in storage by costs as a result of years of underinvestment in would prove disastrous for averting the climate
the heating season. gas supply, with the crisis exacerbated this year crisis further down the line.
by steep reductions in Russian gas shipments as “I’ve been in politics long enough, over 30
WHAT NEXT: part of the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine. years, to understand that people worry most
Timmermans said the The situation could worsen as energy about the immediate crisis and not about the
risk of this unrest must demand rises in the run-up to winter, and Rus- long-term crisis. And if we don’t address the
take precedence over the sia could well cut off gas supply completely, in a immediate crisis, we will certainly be off-track
climate crisis. move to destabilise the European economy. In with the long-term crisis,” he said.

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