Genevieve Kotarska and Lauren Young write:

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, energy security has been a central feature of public discourse. As Russia is one of the world’s largest suppliers of oil and gas, the energy market has become a crucial factor as the humanitarian and environmental crisis unfolds. With many countries dependent on Russia for energy supplies, the international community is now in a position where its ability to respond forcefully to the invasion is undeniably restrained.

During the first few days of the conflict and after eight years of work, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the second part of a landmark report, detailing the catastrophic impacts climate change is already having all over the world. Sadly, the report flew largely under the radar, overshadowed by the Russian invasion. Ukraine’s IPCC scientists were even forced to withdraw from determining the final wording of the report because they needed to shelter from Russian missiles.

With our ability to achieve net zero already uncertain and in a world where extreme weather is already a reality, Putin’s invasion places renewed urgency on the global adoption of renewable energy. [Continue reading…]