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Energy crisis: five questions that must be answered in 2023

Market turmoil and geopolitical realignment after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine put livelihoods and the green-energy transition at risk. Here’s how researchers can help overcome the threats.
  1. Andreas Goldthau

    1. Andreas Goldthau is a professor at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany, and research group lead at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany.

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  2. Simone Tagliapietra

    1. Simone Tagliapietra is a senior fellow at Bruegel, Brussels, Belgium, and a professor of energy, climate and environmental policy at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.

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A worker guides drilling pipes at a gas drilling rig on a resource base for the Power of Siberia gas pipeline.

A rig operator guides a drilling pipe at a gas production facility near Lensk, Russia. Credit: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty

Energy markets have been on a roller-coaster ride this year. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western countries imposed financial sanctions on Russia and embargoed its oil exports. Russia cut its gas supplies to Europe in retaliation. Major importers such as Germany had to slash their energy use and look elsewhere for supplies. Low- and middle-income nations struggled to access affordable energy. Countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka faced blackouts; fuel price hikes spilled over into food markets.

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Nature 612, 627-630 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-04467-w

References

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  4. Global Climate Alliance Collaborative. Global Climate Alliance For Accelerated Climate Action (Multinational Development Policy Dialogue Brussels & Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 2022).

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  5. Hall, P. & Soskice, D. (eds) Varieties of Capitalism (Oxford Univ. Press, 2001).

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  6. Tagliapietra, S. & Wolff, G. B. Nature 591, 526–528 (2021).

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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