BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18. Europe has decreased its gas consumption by around 20 percent year-on-year, said the European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, Trend reports.
“Exactly one year ago the European Commission presented its REPowerEU plan, our response to the hardships and global energy market disruptions. The REPowerEU plan helps the EU save energy, to produce it cleanly and diversify our energy supplies. What the difference the one year has made? Together we have managed to get rid of our dependence on Russian fossil fuels. We’ve diversified away from Russia to reliable partners. The European people and companies have cut down almost 20 percent of their gas consumption and most importantly, for the long-term view, we’ve massively invested in renewables and in our energy independence,” reads the report.
Kadri Simson notes that European Commission’s work is far from over, but the REPowerEU plan gives the tools to tackle future challenges together for a cleaner, more prosperous and more energy-independent Europe.
In response to the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine and the disruptions it caused in the global energy market, the European Commission introduced the REPowerEU Plan last year. This plan aims to address two pressing issues: the need to end the European Union's reliance on Russian fossil fuels and impose a significant financial burden of nearly €100 billion annually on European taxpayers, and the urgency to combat the climate crisis.
By acting collectively as a Union, Europe can expedite the transition of its energy system and reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels at a faster pace. The measures outlined in the REPowerEU Plan offer a means to achieve this goal. They encompass energy efficiency improvements, diversification of energy sources, and the accelerated adoption of renewable energy in residential, industrial, and power generation sectors to replace fossil fuels.
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