In a sharp critique of Europe's energy policy, activists decry the continent's expanding fossil gas infrastructure as a major threat to climate goals, highlighting a stark contradiction with global decarbonization efforts.
Ajit Niranjan reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Despite global commitments to reduce carbon emissions, Europe is significantly increasing its gas generation capacity, with new projects expected to boost capacity by 27%.
- A mere 2% of Europe's gas infrastructure is set to retire, raising concerns about the commitment to decarbonization.
- Investment in renewable energy and clean technologies is touted as essential to mitigate climate change impacts and stabilize energy prices.
Key quote:
"This undermines our security, exposes us to volatile power prices and toxic emissions, and heightens the risk of stranded assets."
— Alexandru Mustață, campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels
Why this matters:
The extensive existing infrastructure for fossil fuels in Europe, such as power plants, refineries, and distribution networks, represents a substantial investment in a carbon-intensive economy. This infrastructure has a long lifespan and is designed to be used for decades, thereby locking in high emissions for many years to come and making a shift to greener alternatives more challenging and expensive.
2019 EHN coverage of the Paris Agreement pledges: As the US begins to withdraw from the global climate pact, the remaining pledges fall short in stemming planet-warming emissions growth.
