Winter is coming: Europe’s energy transition and the war in Ukraine

As blistering heatwaves and raging forest fires sweep across Europe, climate change is once again back on the agenda. But Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the consequent reduction in energy supplies to Europe has greatly complicated Europe’s green transition. Some observers argue that a cold-turkey withdrawal from Russian fossil fuels will speed up the transition to renewable energy, but others predict that climate goals will fall by the wayside as European leaders turn to coal and whatever else is available to make up for the lack of Russian oil and gas. In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s research director seizes the reins of power as host from a vacationing Mark Leonard and talks to Susi Dennison, director of ECFR’s European Power programme, and Simone Tagliapietra, senior fellow at Bruegel about these competing narratives. Will Europe manage to maintain unity as winter approaches? What does this mean for its efforts in climate diplomacy? This podcast was recorded on 19 July 2022. Further reading - Green peace: How Europe’s climate policy can survive the war in Ukraine by Susi Dennison: https://buff.ly/3NqrHxw- Own coal: Why Europe could lose its green transition by Susi Dennison: https://buff.ly/3R2QuL7- Circuit breakers: Securing Europe’s green energy supply chains by Agatha Kratz, Charlie Vest, and Janka Oertel: https://buff.ly/3w67gABBookshelf: - How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future by Vaclav Smil - Violetta by Isabel Allende - The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.