Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has upended decades of energy policy and a long-term dependence on Russian gas. Across Europe, governments are scrambling to find alternate energy supplies for the coming winter.
This investigative series looks at how the energy and climate crises intersect, with a focus on Italy and Germany, the European countries traditionally most reliant on Russian gas. We examine the close ties between the gas industry and government in these countries, and how these relationships are evolving at this critical juncture.
As governments bail out energy companies and fast-track liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, fossil gas is fast gaining a new status as the necessary fuel for ‘energy security’, while at the same time, being promoted as a ‘green’ fuel and part of the solution to the climate crisis. This series examines whether there is a broader coordinated push to exploit the current crisis to lock in gas for the long term – and who might be behind it.
This series was developed with the support of Journalismfund.eu
Image credit: Andy Carter
