11 March 2022
EU nations pay EUR9 billion and counting for Russian fossil fuels during war on Ukraine
11 March 2022 – EU nations continue to import an estimated EUR600 million worth of coal, oil, and fossil gas from Russia per day, spending more than EUR9 billion on Russian fossil fuels since it invaded Ukraine on 24 February, according to a new tracking tool launched by Europe Beyond Coal today.
Based on live ENTSO-G and recent Eurostat data, this analysis, displayed as a web counter, underscores the duty for EU leaders to make every effort to urgently end Russian, and all fossil fuel dependence in our societies.
“With EU heads of state considering new measures to cut reliance on Russian fossil fuels, it’s critical to understand the scale of fossil fuel profits Russia continues to receive,” said Kathrin Gutmann, Europe Beyond Coal campaign director. “Coal, oil, and gas are fuelling this war on Ukraine and terrible loss of life. Europe’s energy transition is as much a necessity for peace as it is for a safe climate. Governments need to commit to immediate and heroic spending on energy savings, and transitioning energy systems to peace-promoting renewable energy sources. A safe and peaceful future for all must be the priority.”
“Billions of euros in fossil fuel payments are undermining Europe’s response to Russia’s brutal assault. The EU has put in place promising plans to accelerate clean energy and energy efficiency to shed the reliance of imports from Russia over the coming years, but there is a striking lack of measures that would stem the flow of cash right now. It’s urgent for EU leaders to place restrictions or tariffs on these imports that fund the war,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, Lead Analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
“Today Europe’s addiction to fossil fuel has become deadly for all of us – undermining global peace, making us hostages to an insane dictator with nuclear weapons, funding his military machine and wars outside Russia, as well as fascist propaganda and brutal oppression inside Russia. All this on top of an escalating climate crisis,” said Oleg Savitsky, Climate and energy policy expert at the Ukrainian Climate Network. “Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine and his genocidal acts, such as bombing of maternity hospital in Mariupol and attacks on civilian evacuation corridors, place an immediate clear moral choice before European leaders: will they continue to be irresponsible bystanders or “express concern”, while continuing energy deals with bloody dictator, or will they act decisively and immediately. Please do so for the sake of humanity.”
ENDS
Contacts
Alastair Clewer, Communications Officer, Europe Beyond Coal
[email protected], +49 176 433 07 185
Lauri Myllyvirta, Lead Analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air
[email protected]
Notes
- The counter is available here: https://beyond-coal.eu/russian-fossil-fuel-tracker/
Data compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) based on Eurostat and ENTSO-G data. Details on data and methodology available here: https://crea.shinyapps.io/russia_counter/ - Europe Beyond Coal network statement on the Russian Government’s war on Ukraine: https://beyond-coal.eu/2022/03/04/statement-on-the-invasion-of-ukraine/
About
Europe Beyond Coal is an alliance of civil society groups working to ensure a just transition to a fossil-free, fully renewables-based European energy sector. This means exiting coal entirely by 2030 at the latest, and fossil gas by 2035 in the power sector. We devote our time and resources to this independent campaign because we are committed to seeing a European energy system that protects people, nature and our global climate: www.beyond-coal.eu