The North Caucasus Region as a Blind Spot in the “European Green Deal”: Energy Supply Security and Energy Superpower Russia

José Antonio Peña-Ramos,Philipp Bagus,Dmitri Amirov-Belova

doi:10.3390/en14010017

José Antonio Peña-Ramos, Philipp Bagus + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/en14010017

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Abstract

The “European Green Deal” has ambitious aims, such as net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. While the European Union aims to make its energies greener, Russia pursues power-goals based on its status as a geo-energy superpower. A successful “European Green Deal” would have the up-to-now underestimated geopolitical advantage of making the European Union less dependent on Russian hydrocarbons. In this article, we illustrate Russian power-politics and its geopolitical implications by analyzing the illustrative case of the North Caucasus, which has been traditionally a strategic region for Russia. The present article describes and analyses the impact of Russian intervention in the North Caucasian secessionist conflict since 1991 and its importance in terms of natural resources, especially hydrocarbons. The geopolitical power secured by Russia in the North Caucasian conflict has important implications for European Union’s energy supply security and could be regarded as a strong argument in favor of the “European Green Deal”.

Highlights

IntroductionIts aims include net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union by 2050, a new circular economy to ensure reuse and recycling, a renovation of buildings to reduce energy consumption, zero-pollution of the environment by 2050, an increased biodiversity, a greener and healthier agriculture, and an elimination of CO2 emissions by the 2030s [1]
The “European Green Deal” has ambitious goals
We argue that the geopolitical power secured and defended by Russia in the North Caucasian conflict has important implications for the European Union’s energy supply security and could be regarded as a strong argument in favor of the “European Green Deal”

Summary

Introduction

Its aims include net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union by 2050, a new circular economy to ensure reuse and recycling, a renovation of buildings to reduce energy consumption, zero-pollution of the environment by 2050, an increased biodiversity, a greener and healthier agriculture, and an elimination of CO2 emissions by the 2030s [1]. While these well-intentioned aims satisfy the political agenda of progressive and green parties, and are supported at the voting booth and by public opinion, there remains a blind spot in the “European Green Deal”. A successful “European Green Deal” would have the up-to- underestimated geopolitical advantage of making the European Union less dependent on Russian hydrocarbons

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