List eurokomisárke pre zmenu klímy Connie Hedegaard

Bratislava, 8. 4. 2014

Dear Commissioner Hedegaard,

allow us to bring to your attention an important opportunity for European climate goals brought by recent annexation of Crimea by Russia.

Despite a lot of "sanctions" rhetoric, given our (EU) dependency on Russian natural gas and oil and very high levels of dependency of many member states on Russia´s energy imports, it does not appear very productive approach. The same limited influence can be expected from proposals to increase EU import of CNG from current shale gas surpluses in the U.S.: questionable is both volume, price and long term availability of that gas. And, of course, growing use of shale gas would have very negative climate consequences.

It appears that absolutely best and the only sustainable strategy to deal with Russia is to decrease imports of natural gas and oil to both EU and Ukraine (Ukraine is the second largest importer of Russian NG after Germany, followed by Turkey). While it is very difficult and slow to change member states investment priorities, to influence allocations of EU´s assistance to Ukraine may be much easier process.

EU has well over 100 billion euros trade deficit with Russia, 75 % of our import are oil and gas. This huge trade deficit helps to finance, among other things, Russian military threatening EU´s neighbors.

Our practical proposal to you is this one: Please, propose to commissioner Stefan Fule and any other relevant colleagues an emergency assistance program for Ukraine focusing on energy conservation in buildings ("Bomb Ukraine - with mineral wool" may sound too militaristic, but captures the proposal).

By such win-win-win-win approach, EU could achieve multiple goals:

- Geopolitical - provide real, visible support to citizen – not oligarchs - of Ukraine and reduce Ukraine´s need to import natural gas used for heating of Ukrainian households and buildings. (Most of buildings in UA are in dilapidated conditions with extremely poor thermal insulation - in very harsh climate compared to most of EU),

- Social - saving on energy bills would measurably and significantly improve social situation of struggling Ukrainian families (with currency devaluation social conditions in UA are deteriorating rapidly and with already announced 50 % increase in NG prices in near future, worsening social situation may undermine pre-European efforts and determination of Ukrainian people,

- Economic - lessening "money drain" paid to Russia for natural gas would improve Ukrainian trade balance and economic health of the country,

- and, of course, Climate - Ukraine´s per capita CO₂ emissions are almost as high as EU average despite much lower GDP per capita. Structure of Ukrainian economy is only part of the reason – equally if not more important are poorly insulated houses, administrative and industrial buildings.