US-EU Should Invest More in Clean Energy, Not Fossil Fuels
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States and the European Union announced an agreement today that will help advance clean energy deployment in Europe while also increasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments to Europe to help wean it from Russian energy. Recent analysis has found that enhanced renewable energy and energy efficiency action by the EU could significantly cut its Russian gas use starting today and through this decade.
Jake Schmidt, senior strategic director for international climate at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) made the following statement:
“Every dollar that the U.S. government steers towards fossil fuels is a dollar robbed from clean energy solutions –investing in energy efficient heat pumps, wind and solar power and battery storage—that will free Europe from petro-belligerents and protect us from the climate crisis.
“Instead of supporting further LNG development—which is inconsistent with the world’s climate goals—the U.S. and Europe should ramp up investments in cleaner, smarter and safer ways to power our future. That will protect our collective health, economies and security.”
More resources:
A new joint analysis by Ember, E3G, Bellona and Regulatory Assistance Project finds that clean energy can replace two-thirds of Russian gas imports by 2025 (equivalent to 69 billion cubic meters, bcm). This can be done by accelerating the deployment of renewable electricity, energy efficiency and electrification. More here: https://www.e3g.org/publications/eu-can-stop-russian-gas-imports-by-2025
An analysis by the European Commission found that by the end of 2022, enhanced renewable energy and energy efficiency action in the E.U. could cut Russian gas by one-quarter (equivalent to 37 bcm of gas reduction): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:71767319-9f0a-11ec-83e1-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
A 2020 report by NRDC finds that export of U.S.-produced LNG is not consistent with the nation’s climate goals. The report, Sailing to Nowhere: Liquefied Natural Gas Is Not an Effective Climate Strategy, is here: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/sailing-nowhere-liquefied-natural-gas-report.pdf
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.