Conference on the Future on Europe : proposition 3

The climate change and the European energy dependence are a real concern to European citizens. Foto: Philippe STIRNWEISS / © European Union 2022 / Source: EP

(Elsa Woeffler) – Accelerating the ecological transition, achieving energy independence for the European Union while providing sustainable and quality energy to Europeans, this is what European citizens are proposing in proposition 3. Indeed, this is one of the challenges for the European Union in the years to come. Europe’s energy security, at a time when it is highly dependent on imports, is being heavily impacted by the war in Ukraine. For the European citizens’ panel, pushing the European Union to accelerate this transition is urgent, while respecting the global climate protection objectives in Europe. The challenge is twofold: on one hand, to accelerate the energy transition and thus ensure stability in terms of the European Union’s independence, and on the other hand, to fight against climate change.

The latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report is alarming, as humanity has only three years to reverse the curve of greenhouse gas emissions and thus maintain a livable world. Only three years. Yet global warming is not new, and despite scientists’ interventions on the subject, little or nothing has been done to stop it. In recent years, the world has been confronted with unprecedented temperatures and climatic dramas, proving to the world that human activity is destroying the habitat. The European Union is still a pioneer in the fight against global warming, but there is still too much to do in the short time available. On some issues, member states are struggling to reach agreements. Indeed, some of them are caught up in socio-economic or financial imperatives and therefore cannot take part in agreements.

More than a dozen measures were formulated in order to achieve the objective of fighting global warming, but also of energy independence. In these uncertain times, between the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, it is urgent to form a real union that is as much political as economic and ecological. Some measures of proposal number three:

1. Achieve and, as far as possible, accelerate the ecological transition, in particular by investing more in renewable energies, in order to reduce external energy dependence, also recognizing the role of local and regional authorities in the ecological transition.

2. Examine, within energy policies, the geopolitical and security implications of all third country energy suppliers, including in terms of human rights, ecology, good governance and the rule of law.

3. Reduce dependence on oil and gas imports through energy efficiency projects, support for affordable public transport, a high-speed rail freight network, and expanding the supply of clean and renewable energy.

4. Improve quality and interconnectivity, ensure maintenance and transform electricity infrastructure and grids to enhance security and enable the transition to renewable energy sources.

5. Invest in technologies that can produce renewable energy, such as efficient production of green hydrogen, particularly in hard-to-electrify sectors.