Macron Urges French to Conserve Energy Under Russia’s Threat

French President Emmanuel Macron urged businesses, government agencies and households to be more aware of saving energy as Russia uses energy as a weapon of war and threatens to cut off natural gas supplies, according to a July 14th report. Macron said France must prepare for a situation of complete independence from Russian gas.

This is the first time that a French president said France will face shortages of electricity and gasoline similar to situation in the 1970s as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. French ministers have previously argued that France’s prowess in nuclear power means it is less dependent on Russian gas imports than its neighbors, but the country just released a new energy target on Friday to reduce overall energy use by 10% over the next two years.

In the face of energy shortages, the French Government has prepared a plan to improve energy efficiency, which calls on people to work together to save energy, such as by “turning off lights” and “driving less”. Macron said that in addition to saving energy, Europe also needs to diversify its natural gas supply and build up inventories for winter. He believes that the war in Ukraine will continue and this summer and autumn will be very difficult, thus Western countries should continue to support Zelensky administration and the Ukrainian army.