Louise van Schaik and Giulia Cretti hosted a side event at the Munich Security Conference to exchange views on the security aspect of energy. During the event, they discussed the geopolitics of green and fossil energy supply and how energy dependencies can be reduced. The perils of energy dependency on third countries have become more visible and more policy relevant. 

The energy crisis has sparked a rethink as to how Europe defines and prioritises its energy security and energy relations with fossil producing countries. At the same time, new opportunities in the field of renewables and critical raw materials are gaining ground. In addition to supply insecurity and price volatility, there is a realisation of the risks associated with EU’s fossil fuel dependency on undemocratic and unstable countries. Many petrostates are overly dependent on fossil revenues with price fluctuations leading to instability with possible repercussions for the security of Europe. While this argument is used to promote green energy partnerships with third countries, it is also used to justify domestic exploration of oil and gas. 

This Munich event gathered key national and international stakeholders from Europe and beyond to ascertain how our new understanding and importance given to energy security impacts European foreign and security policy. Guests at the table included Dutch foreign affairs minster Hanke Bruins Slot, Belgian energy minister Tinne van der Straten and former US Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman. 

read the op-ed that Cretti and Van Schaik wrote for Euractiv.

This video below with Giulia Cretti and former Clingendael researcher Akash Ramnath highlights Europe's strategic vulnerabilities and dependencies in green and fossil energy , while also exploring potential exit strategies from this reliance. The urgency of addressing this matter became especially evident after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.