Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has revealed the hidden cost of Europe’s dependence on Russia’s oil and gas. As the tanks drive further into Ukraine, the UK and Europe send millions of pounds a day to Russia for oil and gas. [2][3] Our dependence on Russian gas is not only driving up bills, and fueling the climate crisis - but it’s also funding war. [4]
The UK is on track to spend £2bn this year on Russian gas. [5] That needs to change. To get off gas, the UK govt. will need to take bold action in the face of this emergency - they must give us an Emergency Energy Package to insulate homes, replace boilers with heat pumps and boost ever-cheaper solar and wind power. This means we can stand up to Putin, tackle soaring bills and address the climate crisis.
In the face of this tragic situation, the German government has shown the type of bold leadership our government must imitate. They’ve stopped Nord Stream 2, an $11billion gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. They’ve also brought forward their renewable energy targets by 15 years to 2035 which Chancellor Olaf Sholz said was ‘decisive not only for our economy and the environment. It is also decisive for our security’. We need that decisiveness in the UK government right now. [6]
As calls for the UK to drop Russian gas intensify, the UK government must look at the best options to fill that energy gap. The fossil fuel lobby and some MPs want that to be new North Sea oil and gas fields that could take a quarter of a century to develop. We can’t wait that long. The Netherlands was able to cut gas demand by 22% in just two years by building more renewables - the UK needs to do similar. [7]
Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement is due in less than 3 weeks. To properly tackle this crisis we need major, radical investment that delivers a clean and efficient UK energy system that can help tackle our energy security issues, the climate crisis and the cost of living crisis - and stops bankrolling Putin’s war machine. Can you call on Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to take action?
