European energy dilemma not due to Russian’s war against Ukraine: Expert

The Russian-Ukraine war did not start the European energy security dilemma, an expert said Friday.

"If Europeans can have any chance of solving its energy security problems, we have to remember that it's energy security challenges didn't begin with the Russian invasion of Ukraine," said Brenda Shaffer, research faculty member at the Energy Academic Group and U.S. Naval Post Graduate School.

Shaffer's comments came during a discussion about the importance of climate mitigation commitments in a session titled, "The Energy Crisis and Climate Change: Time to Turn Crisis into Opportunity?" as part of the TRT World Forum 2022.

"The EU intended not to renew coal and gas and make more room for renewables. Natural gas has zero impact on air pollution. Energy security affects everything," said Shaffer.

She noted that "with the attack on Nord Stream 2, the normalization of attacks on energy structures will be the norm."

Russia had previously been accused of being behind the explosions that damaged the gas pipelines Sept. 26, causing large-scale ruptures in Nord Stream 1 and 2, with gas visibly leaking to the surface. The Russian Defense Ministry, however, accused the West and blamed British navy personnel of blowing up the pipeline.

She pointed out the West's energy policies benefit Beijing, adding: "The West has stopped all public finance for fossil fuels. African nations are picking up the slack. Our policies on energy are empowering China."

Alongside Shaffer were Zaur Gahramanov, CEO of SOCAR Türkiye and Karim Elgendy, associate fellow at the Environment and Society Programme of Chatham House.

Gahramanov said if Europe wants to keep on track for net-zero emissions by 2050, the current investment is not enough. "The world needs to have a balanced approach," he said.

"From all of our acts in the past years, we've saved on water, gas, and steam consumption. Whatever one company is doing is not enough; it should be a joint effort between the state and the company," he said.

Elgendy said the EU is in a tight spot and it reduced its dependence on carbon bombs.

The Ukraine war exacerbated the situation, said Elgendy, who said in the long term, the EU may double down on climate agreements.

The TRT World Forum 2022, a two-day annual event, started Friday in Istanbul.

The gathering, which is held under this year's theme of Mapping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities and Opportunities, brings together academics, journalists, intellectuals, politicians and members of civil society from around the globe.

Nearly 100 speakers and more than 1,000 participants from nearly 40 countries are attending the forum, according to Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, director general of TRT, Türkiye's public broadcaster.