Financial TimesFinancial Times

Europe’s new dirty energy: the ‘unavoidable evil’ of wartime fossil fuels

By Alice Hancock

06 Sep 2022 · 10 min read

Editor's Note

As the EU spends tens of billions of euros on fossil fuel infrastructure meant to ease energy shortages, long term climate targets are in doubt. The FT dives deep into Europe’s energy dilemma.

In July last year, EU commissioners set out a range of green policies to put the continent on a path to becoming climate neutral by 2050. “The fossil fuel economy has reached its limits,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the commission president.

Little more than a year later, those commissioners are now overseeing tens of billions of euros of spending on fossil fuel infrastructure and supplies, amid severe cuts to gas supplies from Russia and record high prices.

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