Sustainable local energy is essential for Europe's security of energy supply
Accelerating the transition to sustainable energy produced mainly on the domestic market, such as wind and solar power, is the only way genuinely to secure Europe's energy supply, according to the European Academies' Science Advisory Council* (EASAC). The greatest insecurity in Europe stems from its dependence on imported fossil resources – chiefly oil and gas. "This dependence exposes our continent to geopolitical blackmail and leaves it economically vulnerable," the organisation established by Europe's national academies of science says in a press release.
A new report by the EASAC council of scientists highlights the need to address the growing threats to energy security, such as the risk of new dependencies as the European Union phases out imports of Russian energy resources. The report recommends phasing out fossil resources and expanding the use of sustainable energy produced domestically. The recommendations include generating electricity from hydro resources, wind, photovoltaics, sustainable biomass, nuclear power and – on a small scale – geothermal energy as well. Widespread use of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, and also sustainable biodiesel, would be an excellent option too.
"There is no security without energy security," is how the Director of the EASAC Energy Programme, Dr William Gillett, describes the 2025 report "Security of Sustainable Energy Supply", prepared by experts from Europe's national academies of science. A secure and prosperous future can only be ensured by a well-managed transition to sustainable local energy and to innovative technologies made in Europe.
Growing geopolitical tension, combined with heavy dependence on imported fuel, raw materials and technology, is an increasing threat to Europe's energy security. The weaponisation of energy supply by autocratic regimes – cutting off trade, physically attacking infrastructure and mounting ever more frequent cyberattacks – raises not only the risk of interruptions to Europe's energy supply but also energy prices. High and volatile energy prices undermine investor confidence, threaten the competitiveness of European industry and push millions of vulnerable European households into energy poverty.
These threats can only be answered by switching to energy produced in Europe
Russia's attack on Ukraine is financed by exports of fossil resources, so Europe must stop buying Russian resources and raw materials. Since 2022 the European Union has done a great deal to drive this process forward, diversifying gas supplies and increasing imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It is particularly important, however, not simply to "switch" from dependence on Russian gas to dependence on imports from some third country, such as LNG from the United States, with all the associated risks.
The report stresses that the growing threats to security of energy supply must be tackled urgently, and explains how this can be achieved by accelerating the transition to sustainable energy. "The Green Deal, followed by the recently adopted Clean Industrial Deal, is Europe's best weapon in the fight to defend its sovereignty. Wind and solar energy do not have to be imported," says Professor Paula Kivimaa of Finland, co-chair of the EASAC working group. "Every investment in sustainable energy is an investment in our security. By contrast, every euro we spend on importing energy is a euro taken away from our defence capabilities."
The scientists recommend strengthening electricity infrastructure, providing state support for energy security investments that the market does not deliver, and continuing to integrate European countries' energy markets with one another.
The European Union has set itself the goal of achieving so-called net zero emissions by 2050, and it is steering the energy transition in that direction. Alongside the phasing out of fossil resources, wind and solar generating capacity is growing rapidly. At the same time, the energy crisis linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the rearmament that has followed has made security of energy supply one of the most important issues in Europe. At European Union level, work is intensifying to increase low-emission generation methods and to find ways of diversifying imports.
*European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) – the European Union's group of independent scientific experts, which mobilises Europe's leading scientists in order to guide European Union policy in the public interest. EASAC brings together the national academies of science of the EU member states, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as Academia Europaea (the Academy of Europe) and ALLEA (the federation of all academies of geographical Europe), in order to provide independent scientific advice to European policymakers. EASAC was founded in 2001 at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
EASAC's main task is to inform policymakers, both national and European Union, about the evidence needed for taking policy decisions – on important questions relating to the environment, energy, the life sciences and public health. EASAC's opinions are independent of commercial or political bias, and, in order to produce science-based analysis and recommendations, EASAC follows open and transparent processes. EASAC is also part of the worldwide network of academies of science – EASAC is the European regional affiliate of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), and is therefore closely linked to, and works with, the national academies of science (regional networks around the world).