Speakers at the opening ceremony of the eighth Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD 2022) that began on Tuesday called for reducing dependence on fossil fuels to tackle climate change and the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Germany, Robert Habeck said Russia’s war on Ukraine had increased the pressure on Europe to accelerate energy transition as a way to lessen dependence on fossil fuel imports from Russia.
Pointing out that the war had driven up energy prices, triggering inflation, he underlined the need to enhance the share of renewables and improve energy efficiency to replace imports. He admitted that it was not easy to replace energy imports from Russia. “But Germany and Europe can overcome the challenge”, he said.
“With the right energy policy, countries can create a climate-neutral society, increase prosperity of nations and promote peace in the world,” he added.
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock said the war in Ukraine had highlighted the role of global energy security and the need for both short-term and long-term strategies to achieve this objective. “Investment in renewables is investment in security and freedom. Renewables and social justice go hand in hand”., she said.
Global cooperation
Ms. Baerbock called for international cooperation to achieve the transformation to clean energy. She advocated collaborative research with strong, independent trade policies. “Clean energy cannot be achieved through dirty deals. It requires a value-led energy policy”, she added.
In a statement ahead of the event, Ms. Baerbock said: “Russia’s brutal war of aggression has not only brought terrible suffering to the people in Ukraine but also made the problematic dependence of many states on fossil energy imports clear to each and every one of us. The global energy transition and combating the climate crisis are now hard geopolitics. The task is now to make ourselves independent from Russian energy imports as quickly as possible – and at the same time to press ahead with the phase-out of fossil fuels.”
Experts, politicians and business leaders from more than 50 countries are attending the conference to discuss the future of energy policy and climate action in the face of the war.
