Page 20 - European Energy Innovation magazine - autumn 2022 edition

Autumn 2022 European Energy Innovation
20 ENERGY RESEARCH

Climate, energy and system

crises: an urgent call for

embracing sobriety

By Adel El Gammal (pictured), Secretary General of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA)

n this late August, one is figuring or fluvial transport. Food insecurity is In the EU political response to the
out how far the state of the growing in the Global South. Russian aggression, REPowerEU -
world has degraded during the the EU blueprint for emancipating
Iusual summer break. Many of us Even as the planet is literarily the bloc from Russian fuels
tried to disconnect, in some cases burning under our feet, the ultimate dependency - stands as a highly
unsuccessfully, with the hope of window of opportunity for world remarkable strategy to accelerate
pausing time and silencing the almost nations to pull their acts together the transformation of the entire EU
surreal unfolding events for a while. and avoid inevitable climate chaos, energy system.
superpowers are multiplying
The Mediterranean region, where I rhetorical confrontations and If REPowerEU can only be praised for
spent some days, was still somehow provocative military demonstrations its highly ambitious targets, applying
inspiring what could resemble instead. And the website of the 27 simple maths and basic reality
th
past paradise. But temperatures Conference of the Parties (COP27), checks shows how assumptions
were persistently unsustainable. due to take place in November in seem highly over-optimistic. This
Wildfires were monstrous, also Sharm-El Sheik, Egypt, remains only highlights the unprecedented
impacting historically humid regions. dramatically void. severity of the challenge Europe
Water shortages across Europe hit – its institutions, its governments,
agricultural output but also halted as Is COP 27 still on? and its citizens – will face in the
diverse sectors as power generation Meanwhile, dirt still flies high as coming months and years and
the war roars through Ukraine, how hazardous the path to a more
which, beyond the tragic human auspicious future will be.
toll, fundamentally reshuffles
the post-cold war geopolitical In this worrying context, the
order, announcing the end of European Energy Research Alliance
multilateralism and the so-called (EERA) reaffirms its strategic energy
“dividends of peace”. The world has and climate advisory role to EU
changed. policymakers. Resulting from a
broad consultation across a range
Europe is additionally facing an of leading scientific experts, EERA
unprecedented challenge. Beyond its will soon release its “Research &
profound geopolitical implications, Innovation Manifesto on REPowerEU”
the invasion of Ukraine by Russian at the High-Level Policy Conference
forces unveiled Europe’s tragic “REPowering Europe for a sustainable
dependency on Russian fuel imports, EU strategic autonomy” to take place
which for gas, represented 40% of its on 19 October 2022 in Brussels.
demand, crucial for power generation,
domestic heating, and industrial use. The Manifesto provides a critical

REPowerEU, an ambitious dual strategy against climate change
and Russian dependency, and a highly uncertain and perilous path
towards a more promising future.

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