Charity calls on EU to end reliance on imported and domestic fossil fuels and increase energy efficiency and boost renewables

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The turmoil in Ukraine should be a wake-up call for Europe's looming fuel and food crisis, campaigners warned on Tuesday.

Ahead of the G7 summit, organised by leaders after they decided to boycott a G8 summit originally scheduled this week in Russia, Oxfam said tension with Moscow because of the situation in Ukraine highlighted the need for Europe to reassess its energy mix.

Europe imports half its energy, predominantly fossil fuels – and Russia is the EU's top supplier for both oil and gas, with European countries paying more than £200 a person to Russian oil and gas giants last year, Oxfam said.

A report by the charity claimed that even if EU governments met their climate and energy commitments for 2020, Europe's annual energy imports bill would soar from £325bn to more than £400bn by 2030 because of rising prices.

At the same time Europe's food import bill could increase as climate change hit countries where much of the EU's food is produced, the report said, leaving poor people in Europe struggling to pay for both heating and food.

Oxfam urged Europe to end its reliance on imported fossil fuels and dirty home-grown energy sources including coal and fracking. Instead the EU should shift its focus to increasing energy efficiency and boosting renewable energy.

Improving energy efficiency by 40% by 2030 could save each household almost £250 a year, the charity said.

Its campaigns and policy director, Sally Copley, said: "Unless Europe acts now to break its addiction to dirty and costly fossil fuels then both Europeans and the world's poorest will pay the price. It's in all our interests for Europe to end its reliance on dirty imports and instead develop clean, safe and affordable energy at home."

Oxfam is calling on Europe to agree an package of measures for 2030 that commits to energy savings of 40%, emissions cuts of at least 55% and boosting sustainable renewable energy to 45% of the energy mix.