Editorial of the “World”. The Russian invasion in Ukraine has provoked a global energy shock. The outbreak of oil and gas courses driven by Western penalties against the Moscow initiative represents a threat to the purchasing power of Europeans. But this destabilization of an economy still too dependent on fossil energies must make us aware that it is also an opportunity to accelerate the ecological transition.
In the same way that the pandemic crisis has been a revealing of our fragilities in terms of our supplies, the Russian offensive illustrates the urgent need to emerge from a toxic footprint both environmentally and politically. Support for Ukraine will have a heavy economic price for European countries, which must push us to intensify efforts that the fight against global warming goes – good, badly – ourselves to impose.
The fact that the price of the liter of gas exceeds 2 euros or that the heating invoices reach prohibitive amounts should not only be interpreted as a conjunctural accident, which will be resorbed after a few months of inflationary fever. First because the conflict may last, especially because this crisis is simply a taste of what awaits us.
Beyond the conflict, the decarbon energy will necessarily cost more. The objective of carbon neutrality in 2050 that the European Union has established implies a complete mutation of our economy and our lifestyles. So far, rare are the leaders who have the courage to prepare the spirits at this perspective. The current energy shock must encourage us to look at reality in front.
While the election campaign goes in its last straight line, the government’s reflex leads to pushing to pushing, that is to say, cushion the shock for the French who can not afford to absorb a Such an increase over a period of time as short and for large businesses of the most fragile energy. This accompaniment is necessary, but very expensive.
Double Issue
A “Resilience” plan should be announced in the coming days. The state is ready to pay a total of twenty billions of euros. This new version of the “whatever it costs” will not be tenable very long. Some candidates do not hesitate to claim a drop in energy taxes. This decision would be even more expensive budget. Above all, it would only subsidize our dependence on oil and gas, without trying to reduce it. Similarly, supply diversification or renunciation of certain decarbonation efforts under the pretext of alleviating our energy bill can only be short-term solutions.
In this troubled period, Emmanuel Macron tries to impose himself as the president who protects against opponents who storms outbidding to preserve purchasing power. In fact, there is a lack of a discourse of mobilization on the double issue that is before us: solidarity vis-à-vis Ukraine and an energy transition to be completed. This is all the more regrettable than the two goals come together. Consume less fossil energies will lead to limiting the financing of Russian aggression while consolidating efforts to combat global warming.