The Energy Crisis Hits Europe

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced European states to prioritize energy security over climate goals, leading to a 'dash for LNG' that outbids developing nations and encourages a global return to coal. This shift undermines EU climate leadership and risks 'locking in' long-term fossil fuel infrastructure in Africa and Asia.

• European efforts to replace Russian piped gas with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) have caused price spikes and supply shortages in Asia, as European buyers outbid other nations.
• High LNG prices and supply shortages have forced major economies in the Global South, specifically China and India, to prioritize energy security by increasing their reliance on coal.
• European states have increased their own use of coal to substitute for Russian gas, with the proportion of coal in EU electricity generation rising from 14 per cent in early 2021 to 16.4 per cent in early 2022.
• The European demand for alternative gas sources is stimulating the development of new natural gas production hubs in Africa, which may undermine global carbon emission targets.
• The EU's REPowerEU plan aims for independence from Russian energy by 2027 through demand reduction, diversification of imports, and accelerated renewable transition, but short-term security needs are currently undermining these climate ambitions.
• Several European countries have reversed coal phase-out plans to ensure energy security, including Germany restarting mothballed plants and Poland increasing domestic production by 1.5 million tonnes in 2022.

APA

Marsh, N., Baev, P. K., & Tzimitras, H. (2022). The Energy Crisis Hits Europe. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8d9fd3d7-3b69-40a7-bc3d-e83e355e3746/Baev Marsh Tzimitras - The Energy Crisis Hits Europe Resonances for the Global South and Climate Change PRIO Policy Brief 4-2022.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Marsh, Nicholas, Pavel K. Baev, and Harry Tzimitras. The Energy Crisis Hits Europe. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2022. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8d9fd3d7-3b69-40a7-bc3d-e83e355e3746/Baev Marsh Tzimitras - The Energy Crisis Hits Europe Resonances for the Global South and Climate Change PRIO Policy Brief 4-2022.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Marsh |first1=Nicholas |last2=Baev |first2=Pavel K. |last3=Tzimitras |first3=Harry |title=The Energy Crisis Hits Europe |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=April 2022 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8d9fd3d7-3b69-40a7-bc3d-e83e355e3746/Baev Marsh Tzimitras - The Energy Crisis Hits Europe Resonances for the Global South and Climate Change PRIO Policy Brief 4-2022.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{marsh2022energy, author = {Marsh, Nicholas and Baev, Pavel K. and Tzimitras, Harry}, title = {{The Energy Crisis Hits Europe}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8d9fd3d7-3b69-40a7-bc3d-e83e355e3746/Baev Marsh Tzimitras - The Energy Crisis Hits Europe Resonances for the Global South and Climate Change PRIO Policy Brief 4-2022.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }