Brussels, 04/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Environmental NGO Greenpeace is calling on the G7 leaders meeting in Brussels on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June to ensure they do not sacrifice alternatives to hydrocarbons.
The leaders of the industrialised Western countries are meeting to find a solution to the crisis in Ukraine and Greenpeace warns in a press release published on 4 June that they must not sacrifice Europe's security and the climate for the benefit of the fossil fuel industry: “This energy security crisis is a wake-up call for Europe to shift course on energy and cut its dependence on dirty imports once and for all. Energy savings and renewable energy can kick-start a revolution in clean, high-tech, home-grown power generation. Instead, G7 leaders continue to pander to the fossil fuels industry. (…) This attitude will keep us hooked to dirty energy, sacrificing both security and the climate” warns Greenpeace.
It argues: “In 2012, the EU spent €421 billion to buy over half of its energy (53%) from outside its border. The Commission's own analysis shows that the development of renewable energy and energy-saving measures can reduce energy imports significantly (see EUROPE 11090). A poll conducted in G7 countries showed that a large majority of people (between 60 and 83 percent) are concerned about energy imports and think that governments should prioritise energy efficiency and renewables to reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy”.
It adds: “In a study of different conservative options for energy targets, the Commission found that the EU could reduce energy imports by more than half by 2050. It also said that the EU's gas consumption could decline by 29% by 2030 and by 54% by 2050. Efficiency is the only tool able to deliver rapid cuts in gas use, and renewables are already the fastest-growing power source in the EU”, as demonstrated by research carried out by the European Wind Energy Association.
Greenpeace comments: “Depending on nuclear power or accelerating the use of limited domestic fossil fuel reserves will not deliver energy security for Europe. The small number of new nuclear reactors under construction in Europe are suffering from massive budget overshoots, technical problems and major construction delays. Over 40% of existing European reactors are over 30 years old and need to be taken out of operation to avoid safety risks and increased costs. Domestic shale gas production is expected to have almost no impact on Russian gas imports into the EU before 2030”, according to research by the Pöyry consultancy.
On Wednesday, non-governmental organisation Friends of the Earth urged the G7 to free themselves from their reliance on fossil fuels and invest in genuine solutions for energy security, such as energy efficiency and renewable energy sources (see related article). (EH)