Lhe war in Ukraine cruelly highlights the energy dependence of Europeans. Since the start of the conflict, the European Union (EU) has imported 39 billion euros worth of fossil fuels from Russia. Soaring oil and gas prices, reaching levels not seen since the 1973 oil crisis, threaten to cause major social tensions. The emergency measures taken by European states in recent months appear to be too slow, too weak and too uncoordinated.
Putting an end to Russian gas and oil imports, while supporting household purchasing power as part of a planned path to decarbonize our economies, is certainly a complicated equation, but it is both essential and in our scope.
The Green Deal supported by the European Union is a first signal, but its current objectives and means will not allow an adequate response to the climate emergency and its social consequences, especially in a context of increased tensions on the energy markets. ‘energy. The French presidency of the Council of the EU should, without delay, put back on the table the proposal to adopt a new European treaty around the challenges of energy transition, previously put forward by Jacques Delors. This treaty should be articulated around three pillars, and coordinated according to a common method.
Invest massively
First pillar: a massive investment plan. The means released by the Green Deal and the recovery and resilience fund are totally insufficient. Decarbonizing our economies and our societies, and at the same time freeing us from our energy dependence on fossil fuel-producing countries, means massively insulating public buildings and housing, electrifying all production industrial and agricultural sectors, to massively develop rail and river transport, both for the transport of people and freight, and to achieve 100% renewable energy. This requires additional green investments of 1.5% to 2% of European GDP each year, according to the Commission.
Second pillar: a genuine professional transition strategy. The energy transition will create many new jobs, but it will also affect millions of workers active in the current sectors of carbon economies (automotive, maritime and air transport, extraction and refining of fossil fuels, logistics, etc.). Like the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the new treaty must include a support component for the professional transition of workers affected by this transition, as well as a support fund for the middle classes and popular to deal with the vagaries of energy prices. The existing “just transition” fund represents only 0.02% of European GDP, which is totally insufficient compared to the needs of vulnerable households and businesses.
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