21 May, 2023 - For immediate release
Kyiv, Ukraine -
As Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets in Japan with G7 leaders, including US President Biden and UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, the Ukrainian Climate organization Razom We Stand is pulling the alarm on dangerous loopholes and problems with Russian trade allowed by the G7, which effectively fuel russia's war machine and climate disruption.
Reports in Reuters highlight recent discussions and policy loopholes, with G7 nations approving many sanctions "exceptions", and saying that the sanctions today "...allow all goods to be sold to Russia unless they are explicitly blacklisted."
Ukrainian Svitlana Romanko, Director of Ukrainian organization Razom We Stand, stated,
"There won’t be peace on the planet, seized by fossil fuels. If the G7 countries want to ensure global energy security and peace, they have no choice but to end our dependence on fossil fuels which they again failed to do during the G7 meeting in Hiroshima."
“Those G7 leaders who continue this support must realize that all money going to support russia is dripping in Ukrainian blood and feeding the global energy and climate crisis. We demand a full and complete embargo of russian gas and oil by the UK and the G7, which is transparent and enforced. Last year we witnessed a world deepening its gas dependency, in particular, Germany and backsliding on global climate action to keep their “gas as usual”. The U.S. started a race to build out massive useless LNG infrastructure, and it appears many have not learned lessons from the war. We should not just replace one addiction to Russian gas and oil with another long term dependance from gas and oil elsewhere. It must all go."
Ms. Romanko's quote available as tweets via @SvitlanaRomanko; LINK TO TWEETS HERE and HERE
Razom We Stand has issued a number of demands to the G7 regarding the need for them to lead on implementing a full, transparent and enforced embargo of russian fossil fuels:
- The climate crisis, and the world, need the G7 to act as climate leaders, and not backslide on stated climate goals and climate finance commitments and stop expansion of fossil gas infrastructure, especially russian LNG.
- We demand that all G7 nations immediately cease participation in joint ventures with russia, particularly in Arctic LNG-2 and Sakhalin-2 LNG projects, as they compromise Japan and the G7's commitments to protect peace and climate. This includes the immediate cessation of imports of all russian fossil fuels, including LNG and oil, and the termination of all business operations in russia by Japanese companies.
- Protection of peace and climate requires international action to stop russia's Arctic LNG-2 project, including sanctions against Chinese companies participating in the project.
- We urge G7 nations to lead the transition towards clean energy by investing in cheaper and cleaner renewable energy sources and upholding the commitments taken under Glasgow Statement on International Public Support for the Clean Energy Transition, that was issued at COP26, and shifting public finance away from gas and coal to clean energy.
- We kindly ask the G7 to provide investment in renewable energy infrastructure for the restoration of Ukraine's energy sector following the principles of decentralization and transition to renewable energy sources, avoiding investments in new fossil fuel infrastructure and stopping the expansion of climate disrupting gas projects;
- We also critically need equipment for distributed energy resources as emergency aid for Ukraine, as called for by Ukrainian municipalities and civil society. This will help to establish reliable electricity supply for critical infrastructure facilities in 2023, promote sustainable and climate-neutral technologies, and facilitate broader participation in energy transition among municipalities, communities, businesses, and citizens.
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Press Contacts:
Jason Kirkpatrick, [email protected], Snr. Communications Mgr., Razom We Stand
Notes to editors:
Professional photos of Svitlana Romanko are available here, copyright free unless otherwise noted on image. Ms. Romanko has been successful in influencing Ukraine government planning, supported by President Zelensky, to rebuild Ukraine's future energy system with clean energy.
