G7 leaders meet to discuss energy security amid Ukraine crisis

Energy ministers have met in Rome to discuss the future of Europe’s energy security and talk about the Ukrainian crisis. Ed Davey expressed concern over Russia using energy supply as a weapon.

As tensions in Ukraine continue, Russia has said that it might consider cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine and eventually to Europe – which gets about a third of its gas from Russia, much of which passes through Ukraine.

Russia claimed that Ukraine owes billions of dollars due to unpaid bills and has been accused by European leaders of using energy as a weapon.

UK’s energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey said, “My discussions with my G7 colleagues have made it clear that we stand together in our resolve to strengthen our energy security and ensure no single power can use control of energy supplies as a weapon in the future.

“Every energy minister in the G7 is here, united in our plans for a long-term project to achieve strong, lasting energy security in our own countries and among our friends and allies.

Davey added, “We all recognise that energy security and climate security are linked parts of the same challenge, with remarkably similar solutions, and requiring similar long term determined international cooperation.”

He also said that EU member states have to find a way to gradually reduce their dependence on Russia. Some previously suggested that the current political and climate situation might encourage states to decisively switch investment to renewable energy sources – as recently suggested by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – as this would both solve the energy security issue and help meet decarbonisation goals.

Photo: DECCgovuk via flickr

Further reading:

Europe must look to renewables to solve Ukraine gas crisis

ExxonMobil’s Arctic ambitions threatened by sanctions on Russia

Crimea, the carbon bubble and climate change

Energy security, fuel poverty and social change: the lowdown on renewables

Investments in renewables must increase, warns UN