UN: War Must Trigger Acceleration of Energy Transition

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BRUSSELS — UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell stated that the energy crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East should serve as a lesson on how dangerous it is to rely on fossil fuels. According to him, this crisis should prompt countries to immediately undertake an energy transition.

“If there is a right moment to accelerate the energy transition and break the dependence that has shackled economies, this is the right time,” Stiell said, as quoted from Daily Sabah, Saturday (21/3/2026).

Stiell will meet with European Union officials and ministers from member states in Brussels on Monday (23/3/2026). He said that the surge in oil prices triggered by the war between the United States (US) and Israel with Iran demonstrates how dependence on oil and gas threatens national security and the cost of living. “Those risks are now clearly visible and burning everyone’s feet,” he said.

The European Union imports 90 per cent of its oil and 80 per cent of its gas. The bloc’s leaders are preparing emergency measures to protect consumers from the surge in energy tariffs and to avoid a rise in fuel prices similar to what occurred in 2022 when Russia began invading Ukraine.

The European Commission stated that the energy transition, which is a strategy to mitigate climate change by replacing fossil fuels with domestically produced renewable energy, will secure energy resilience and free the bloc from dependence on oil with fluctuating prices.