Reducing the use of natural gas in the near future

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

"A good climate policy is also an independence policy, … solve the double crisis of energy independence and climate change coherently”, says Olof van der Gaag, director of the NVDE (Dutch Association of Sustainable Energy) and member of the advisory board of Recharge Earth in an opinion article in the Financial Newspaper. According to the NVDE, the Netherlands are able to reduce their use of natural gas strongly in the near future through a combination of fast energy saving and accelerated sustainable energy generation.

Earlier this month, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published a roadmap to realize the European independence of Russian gas. Part of this plan is to deny new gas contracts from Russia, making haste with new solar- and wind energy projects, and a fast implementation of different energy saving measures.

The NVDE also says that energy saving measures, like adjusting heating systems better and insulating more, can also strongly contribute to a reduced gas demand. According to the association, the Netherlands should be able to save 5 billion cubic meters of gas within a year. This volume is very meaningful since it corresponds with the amount of gas that the Netherlands imports from Russia annually. Therefore, the NVDE pleas for a cooperative plan to save energy.