The European Commission advises people to work from home, reduce the speed of cars and use trains instead of planes to save energy and reduce dependence on Russian oil.
After all, according to the commission and the International Energy Agency (IEA), a series of "simple steps" will save 220 million barrels of oil a year, and the household - € 500, according to The Washington Post.
The measures are set out in the "Reproducing our role" plan.
The article noted that reducing energy use is a way to help Ukraine by reducing the EU's dependence on Russian fuel, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol also urges employers to encourage remote work and governments to provide financial incentives such as lower train fares and support for home insulation initiatives.
The climate plan marks the latest attempt by Western leaders to thwart Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Maria Pastukhova, senior policy adviser at the E3G independent climate change think tank in Berlin, said the set of recommendations had potential in the short term.
"If all EU citizens followed their recommendations, it would save 220 million barrels of oil a year, which is a lot," – she said, – "That's enough to cover more than three months of Russian oil exports to the EU and about 17 billion cubic meters of gas, which is more than 10% of annual exports of Russian gas to Europe. So the volume, in theory, is quite large".
Pastukhova also stressed the value of the public awareness campaign, as measures will be needed to limit energy consumption and move to cleaner energy. Although the campaign may have a significant impact in the short term, she believes it will not be as effective as long-term policy.
Even if people followed these recommendations, they would not last long without clear policies.
In addition to imposing economic sanctions, European leaders are increasingly promoting energy efficiency. Italy, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, has said it will impose temperature restrictions on air conditioning and heating in public buildings.
In March, the United States and the European Commission announced the creation of a joint working group to reduce Europe's dependence on Russian fossil fuels. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky also called on the nation to stop buying Russian oil, criticizing them for making money on people's blood.
However, according to the Bruegel think tank in Brussels, the EU still sends Russia $ 450 million a day for oil and $ 400 million for natural gas.
We will remind, it became known how Europe can refuse import of gas and oil from the Russian Federation.
As EcoPolitica previously reported, in Europe, the heat pump has become a key tool in getting rid of dependence on Russian gas and accelerating the achievement of climate goals.
