Una transizione rapida verso la sovranità energetica

The policy brief asserts that the European Union's reliance on fossil fuel imports—nearly 60% of its primary energy supply—creates critical vulnerabilities. It proposes a five-step strategy focusing on electrification, grid interconnection, flexible energy systems, industrial decarbonization, and the use of the EU Methane Emissions Regulation (MER) to phase out high-risk suppliers. The document highlights that 89% of final energy demand can be electrified with current technology, which would significantly reduce exposure to external shocks and improve industrial competitiveness.

• The European Union faces significant energy vulnerability due to its reliance on fossil fuel imports, which account for nearly 60% of its primary energy supply. Approximately 40% of these imports come from suppliers that have either threatened or discussed interrupting supplies to the EU.
• While the EU reduced its dependence on Russian pipelines following the invasion of Ukraine, it increased its exposure to the United States, which has become the primary supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the second-largest gas supplier overall.
• Electrification offers a major path to energy security; 89% of the EU's final energy demand can be electrified using existing technologies. Increasing electrification could have saved 150 billion euros of the 450 billion euros spent on fossil fuel imports in 2024 by transitioning to heat pumps and electric vehicles.
• EU investment in clean energy is lagging behind global averages. In 2025, these investments totaled approximately 346 billion euros, representing only 2.1% of GDP, compared to a global average of 2.9%. To achieve a clean energy transition, the EU requires annual investments of 1,500 billion euros until 2050.
• The EU Methane Emissions Regulation (MER) can be used as a strategic tool to phase out high-risk fossil fuel imports. Monitoring, reporting, and verification requirements starting in 2027 and methane intensity standards starting in 2030 would likely disincentivize imports from high-emission suppliers such as Russia and the United States.
• The document recommends five key steps for the European Commission and Member States: rapid electrification, ensuring an interconnected European electricity grid, implementing flexible systems (such as battery storage and demand management), industrial decarbonization for steel, cement, and chemicals, and utilizing the MER to prioritize low-risk suppliers.

APA

Burge, L., & Maxwell, S. (2026). Una transizione rapida verso la sovranità energetica. Climate Bonds Initiative. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Rapid-transition-to-energy-security_Italian_Una-transizione-rapida-verso-la-sovranita%CC%80-energetica.pdf

Chicago

Burge, Lily, and Sarah Maxwell. Una transizione rapida verso la sovranità energetica. Climate Bonds Initiative, 2026. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Rapid-transition-to-energy-security_Italian_Una-transizione-rapida-verso-la-sovranita%CC%80-energetica.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Burge |first1=Lily |last2=Maxwell |first2=Sarah |title=Una transizione rapida verso la sovranità energetica |publisher=Climate Bonds Initiative |date=April 2026 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Rapid-transition-to-energy-security_Italian_Una-transizione-rapida-verso-la-sovranita%CC%80-energetica.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{burge2026una, author = {Burge, Lily and Maxwell, Sarah}, title = {{Una transizione rapida verso la sovranità energetica}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Rapid-transition-to-energy-security_Italian_Una-transizione-rapida-verso-la-sovranita%CC%80-energetica.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }