Diluting dependence on Russian oil: How renewable energy can defund a war

Among the top importers of Russian oil are the EU, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and France. The EU accounted for 71% of oil imports from Russia 2 months after the war in Ukraine began. But cutting off oil and gas imports from Russia completely can pose great challenges. The EU is attempting to wean off of Russian oil dependence in response to the invasion of Ukraine by hastening renewable energy adoption. 

The 1970’s oil crises led to a flattening of the exponential demand growth for oil globally. It never recovered thanks to improvements in efficiency. What lessons can we learn from the past as we face the current oil and gas crisis brought on by Putin’s war? We spoke with Amory Lovins, co-author of a recent RMI article assessing the geopolitical dynamics driving a pivot away from fossil fuels.

Chapters:

1:29 The 70’s energy crisis compared to today

10:09 Russia’s energy role

14:12 Policy change following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

23:15 How might this impact Europe’s energy sources over the next several years?

26:48 How might this impact renewable energy adoption around the world?

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