The Effects of the Ukraine- Russia War on Climate Change
The fight against climate change could see unprecedented effects from the current Russia and Ukraine conflict. The world has not seen a conflict on such a large scale in Europe since World War 2 and it is changing how world leaders view energy independence. Russia is one of the world’s largest exporters of fossil fuels with over half of the nation’s exports being fossil fuels. Much of their exports go directly towards NATO based European countries, as they make up one third of Europe’s oil and forty percent of their natural gas imports.
This dependence on Russia for energy needs has come into question in recent months and has made many leaders across the world reconsider their energy sources. The European Union especially has taken drastic steps to cut Russia out of the energy conversation in years to come. The EU has promised to cut Russian imports of natural gas by two thirds by December 2022 and to completely stop all imports by 2027.
Alternative Energy
EU countries such as Germany rely heavily on Russian oil and gas and an immediate, total ban on Russian imports could force their economies into small recessions. As a result, many of these European countries are looking to expand their green energy capabilities in the future to supplement reduced Russian fossil fuels in the long run. As a direct response to the Ukraine invasion, Germany has invested 200 billion Euros into green energy initiatives like an EV charging station network and new hydrogen based energy technology. However, as Russia is one of the world’s main suppliers of the metals and minerals necessary to manufacture renewable energy technology, countries who are looking to implement clean energy systems will need to be mindful of where they are sourcing their materials from.
Increased Fossil Fuels
As an alternative to dependence on Russia for their fossil fuels, many countries are seeking to replace Russian oil and gas with their own fossil fuel supply. In an effort to achieve this quickly, countries are turning to coal or liquified natural gas. As a result, Russian fossil fuels are being replaced with equally, if not more, harmful fossil fuels for the climate. As countries resort to these forms of energy, they further risk failing to fulfill their obligations under the current climate agreements.
Lastly, many countries across the world are drastically increasing military spending as a result of the Russia Ukraine war. Militaries are notoriously harmful greenhouse gas emitters. In fact, if listed alongside countries, the U.S. Department of Defense would rank as the 55th largest emitter of greenhouse gasses globally. This ranks higher than Sweden and Portugal in total emissions. With more nations across the world rapidly expanding their military budgets, less funds will be left for spending on green energy initiatives and the expanded militaries will be harmful emitters themselves.
The Ukraine War shows us how climate change is an intersectional issue that is often collaterally exasperated. There is hope however that with the reconsideration of energy sources around the world now, we may potentially see a more permanent shift towards alternative energy.
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