By Flaminia Marchetti, Policy Analyst, Laura Morreale, Policy Analyst & Silvia Porcaro, Policy Analyst
Combining climate-friendly energetic policies and response to Russia’s aggression: IEA proposals
While the invasion of Ukraine has fostered attention for dependence on Russian energetic sources, the European community is wondering how this can be reduced, and whether it could be done in an environmentally-friendly way. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published its own guidelines to answer these questions.
“Playing my part”, the report published on 21 April by IEA, is addressed to individual EU citizens and companies. It outlines 10 actions that would affect Russia’s energy market and, at the same time, help both preserving the environment and saving money. Actions include responsible use of heating and cooling systems, reducing car usage, and prefer less polluting transports such as trains.
The 10-point Plan
These suggestions on individual-led measures go together with other recommendations lately elaborated by IEA’s experts. Among them, the 10-Point Plan that calls for a necessary reduction of the reliance on Russian gas, and the need to cope with the decrease in oil supplies. These are expected to contribute to Europe’s project to bring down gas use and imports.
As a matter of fact, by relying on alternative sources and by maximizing the generation from existing low-emissions sources this Plan is aligned with the EU’s climate ambitions and the European Green Deal. Moreover, it paves the way for the achievement of the IEA Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Roadmap, in which the EU totally eliminates the need for Russian gas imports before 2030.
Not all that glitters is gold
However, IEA proposals appear rather limited and do not include some key issues that should be addressed in a crucial moment for climate transition. Choosing to speak to individuals, the report leaves out thorny questions that fall within the competence of governments. Some examples are the lack of ambitious policies on restricting highly-polluting productions, acting to avoid speculation on energy costs or at least supporting those categories that will be most affected by rising costs.
Moreover, the report recognizes that not every citizen has the same opportunities in terms of use of devices such as air conditioners, access to public transport, or possibility of working remotely. But even pointing out this huge limit, it does not suggest any compensatory measure to reduce such inequalities.
Eventually, people with fewer opportunities will be the ones who cannot benefit from this type of advice: but a strategy based on individuals “playing their part” implicitly blames them for not doing enough, without looking at the uneven access to opportunities.