Von der Leyen urged to ‘make this Europe’s last fossil fuel crisis’ ahead of State of the EU speech
Ursula von der Leyen slammed fossil fuels in her 2022 State of the EU speech. Now, Europe is in the midst of yet another energy crisis.
European leaders are urging President Ursula von der Leyen to address the EU's "last fossil fuel crisis" during her upcoming State of the Union address on September 16th. This follows a similar speech in 2022 when she tackled the crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The EU has spent over €70 billion on fossil fuel imports since the conflict began, despite saving €32.2 billion from solar power.
Experts warn that Europe's dependence on fossil fuels contributes to economic risks, with 75% of firms citing energy costs as a major barrier to investment. Moreover, extreme weather events associated with climate change caused by fossil fuel burning have led to over 35,000 excess deaths and €180 billion in economic losses this summer alone.
CAN Europe, a coalition of NGOs, is calling for von der Leyen to publish a high-level, independent science-based report on ending Europe's fossil fuel dependency, emphasizing that it is in the bloc's economic and strategic interest to transition to renewable energy sources.
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