By Invitation | COP27

The global energy crisis may be accelerating decarbonisation efforts, says Fatih Birol

The executive director of the IEA believes Russia’s war in Ukraine has created new incentives to go green

RUSSIA’S INVASION of Ukraine has changed energy markets and policies around the world, not just for the time being, but for decades to come. The energy crisis set off by Moscow’s war is giving a short-term lift to fossil fuels in some cases. More coal has been burned in Europe, for example, because natural-gas prices have been extremely high. But I think this lift is likely to be temporary. The crisis is also driving powerful structural changes that are set to accelerate the transition to clean energy. These promise to be positive for our climate and for our energy systems in the long run.

This article appeared in the By Invitation section of the print edition under the headline “The global energy crisis may be accelerating decarbonisation efforts, says Fatih Birol”

Imagining peace in Ukraine

From the November 12th 2022 edition

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