Speakers at the opening ceremony of the eighth Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD 2022) that began on Tuesday called for reducing dependence on fossil fuels to tackle climate change and the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Germany, Robert Habeck said Russia’s war on Ukraine had increased the pressure on Europe to accelerate energy transition as a way to lessen dependence on fossil fuel imports from Russia.
Pointing out that the war had driven up energy prices, triggering inflation, he underlined the need to enhance the share of renewables and improve energy efficiency to replace imports. He admitted that it was not easy to replace energy imports from Russia. “But Germany and Europe can overcome the challenge”, he said.
