The European Union could reduce its imports of Russian natural gas by more than one-third within a year, through a combination of measures that would be consistent with the European Green Deal and support energy security and affordability, a new IEA analysis shows.Europe's reliance on imported natural gas from Russia has again been thrown into sharp relief by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The IEA's '10-Point Plan to Reduce the European Union's Reliance on Russian Natural Gas' includes a range of complementary actions that can be taken in the coming months, such as turning more to other suppliers, drawing on other energy sources and accelerating efforts to provide consumers, businesses and industry with the means to use clean and efficient alternatives to natural gas. The proposed measures are fully consistent with the EU's European Green Deal and its 'Fit for 55' package, paving the way for further emissions reductions in the years to come.In 2021, the EU imported 155 × 10~9 m~3 of natural gas from Russia, around 45 per cent of EU gas imports and close to 40 per cent of its total gas consumption. Progress towards Europe's net zero ambitions will bring down its use and imports of gas over time, but today's crisis raises the specific question about imports from Russia and what more can be done in the immediate future to bring them down.
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