Europe is facing a major social test ahead of winter, as it juggles rising discontent, fuelled by soaring energy prices, and pressure to meet climate goals as the Ukraine conflict drags on. | Fin24
British grassroots group"Don't Pay UK" is calling for people to boycott energy bills from Oct. 1, while the trade union-backed"Enough is Enough" campaign kicked off a series of rallies and actions in mid-August calling for pay rises, rent caps, cheaper energy and food, and taxes on the rich.
Some economists say the immediate need to keep Europe's electricity and heating running should trump medium-to-long term goals to adopt more clean energy and curb climate change, especially heading into the colder winter months. At a conservative estimate, 10 000 such protests have taken place worldwide since last November, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation - with more expected in an uncertain future.Faced with the threat of power outages, EU countries have introduced a raft of energy efficiency measures to help slash power bills, as annual inflation hits a record 8.9%, with about 4 percentage points of that due to more expensive energy.
Such efforts form part of a wider EU drive to slash gas demand as the bloc races to shore up supplies ahead of winter, amid fears Russia will further restrict gas deliveries in response to EU financial sanctions.But energy savings have yet to ease the pressure of surging utility bills - and protests have been planned from Madrid to London for the autumn in response to the cost of living crisis.
Cassie Sutherland of C40 Cities, a network of major cities pushing for swift action on climate change, said measures were required to cushion the impact of energy inflation while also cutting emissions fast enough to limit global warming to 1.5C, the lower goal set by governments in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
"The cheapest energy is the energy we don’t consume," said BEUC Director General Monique Goyens."Given recent developments, we can no longer afford to wait."As fears rise over energy insecurity, Germany, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands have signalled they will allow shuttered coal-fired plants to re-open or prolong operations beyond planned closure dates.
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