The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has cut off a fifth of the world\u2019s oil supply, triggering global shortages and price spikes, with ongoing volatility. Describing the last few weeks as \u201cyet another abject lesson,\u201d Stiell said doubling down on fossil fuels is the wrong response.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is completely delusional,\u201d Stiell said. \u201cHistory tells us, this fossil fuel crisis will happen again and again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, Stiell urged European leaders to adopt policies that boost renewable energy and climate resilience, citing economic and health benefits and insulation from global turmoil. He echoed arguments from some experts who say the war is making the case<\/a> for renewable energy.<\/p>\n Stiell also emphasized the financial costs of climate change, citing research<\/a> showing that last summer\u2019s climate extremes in Europe caused at least \u20ac43 billion in short-term economic losses. At the same time, fossil fuel companies continued to rake in taxpayer-funded subsidies around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMeek dependence on fossil fuel imports will leave Europe forever lurching from crisis to crisis, with households and industries literally paying the price,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kate Logan, director of the China Climate Hub and Climate Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the speech marked a shift for Stiell and the UNFCCC.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe tone of the messaging here has a degree of urgency that\u2019s unusual for the UNFCCC to come out with publicly,\u201d said Logan, who attends the annual Conference of the Parties climate talks as an observer.\u00a0<\/p>\n That change in tone is a testament to the gravity of the current global moment, Logan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEven though they\u2019ve long emphasized the energy security and economic growth benefits of renewables, we\u2019re in a moment where we need to transition away from fossils and that\u2019s clearer than ever,\u201d she said. Referring to the 2015 climate treaty signed by nearly every country, she added: \u201cThey\u2019re making the case in a way that\u2019s much broader than just focusing on the Paris Agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n The U.S. and Israel\u2019s war in Iran\u2014launched without approval from Congress or the U.N. Security Council\u2014has already killed more than 1,440 people in Iran, according<\/a> to the country\u2019s health ministry, and displaced more than 800,000 people in Lebanon amid a domino effect of counterstrikes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Attacks on Iran\u2019s desalination plants, which the U.S. denied responsibility for, jeopardize water access for millions in the region and violate international law, while further highlighting the risks<\/a> of fossil-fuel dependence, experts say. The plants\u2019 rely on oil and gas.<\/p>\n Stiell\u2019s comments were directed at a European audience, in the wake of several years of energy insecurity and volatility. But the war\u2019s energy ramifications are spreading worldwide, particularly in countries most reliant on imported oil and gas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pakistani officials announced a two-week closure<\/a> of schools and scaled back some government operations to save fuel. In India, the world\u2019s second-largest importer of liquefied petroleum gas, a cooking gas shortage has strained households and businesses, prompting widespread protests<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bangladesh<\/a> and Myanmar<\/a> reportedly implemented fuel rations. The Philippines announced<\/a> a four-day workweek for some government offices in an attempt to reduce energy demand.\u00a0<\/p>\n This story is funded by readers like you.<\/p>\n Our nonprofit newsroom provides award-winning climate coverage free of charge and advertising. We rely on donations from readers like you to keep going. Please donate now to support our work.<\/p>\n Donate Now<\/a> <\/p>\n The Strait of Hormuz is also a crucial shipping lane for fertilizer manufactured using fossil gas, and reports say governments in Africa are bracing<\/a> for economic shocks to their agriculture sectors.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his call to action, Stiell argued that renewable energy can provide nations energy security and stability during periods of conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cSunlight doesn\u2019t depend on narrow and vulnerable shipping straits,\u201d he said. \u201cWind blows without massive taxpayer-funded naval escorts.\u201d<\/p>\n Kate Guy, a senior fellow with the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, said the Iran war demonstrates how countries can weaponize the flow or production of energy resources, particularly fossil fuels.<\/p>\n An economy powered by clean energy wouldn\u2019t eliminate supply-chain vulnerabilities in a conflict, such as production of critical minerals for renewables, Guy said. But such an economy is by nature more distributed, with fewer choke points than the global oil and gas market.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRenewable energy, just by necessity, adds fewer of those leverage points,\u201d Guy said.<\/p>\n Stiell urged leaders to focus on the economic and societal benefits of reducing emissions, despite a \u201cnew world disorder where some major powers do as they please, unconstrained by economic logic or current alliances.\u201d<\/p>\n
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