The European Council meeting of 24 and 25 March 2022 reaffirmed that the European Union will phase out its dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible. The European Commission’s RePowerEU Communication of 18 May 2022 sets out measures to end dependence on Russian energy including: saving energy, diversifying supplies away from Russia, substituting fossil fuels by accelerating Europe’s clean energy transition, removing financial and regulatory barriers to rolling out needed infrastructure, and ensuring Member States have contingency plans to deal with any disruption in supplies from Russia. The European Commission has been engaging with third countries to identify alternative sources of energy in response to the war in Ukraine. The EU External Energy Strategy will facilitate energy diversification and building long-term partnerships with suppliers, including cooperation on hydrogen or other green technologies. The Strategy prioritises the EU's commitment to the global green and just energy transition, increasing energy savings and efficiency to reduce the pressure on prices, boosting the development of renewables and hydrogen, and stepping up energy diplomacy.
The National Energy Security Framework, approved by Government in April 2022, provides a single overarching and initial response to address Ireland’s energy security needs in the context of the war in Ukraine. It sets out a ‘Whole-of Government’ response to the challenges posed to energy security and energy affordability. The development of this Framework has taken account of the need to decarbonise our society and economy as set out in recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Ireland’s targets to reduce emissions by 51% over the decade to 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
