00:00The war involving Iran draws renewed attention to the global risk of relying heavily on fossil fuels,
00:07according to the United Nations top climate official.
00:10Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,
00:15says reliance on imported fossil fuels can also drive rising energy costs,
00:20placing additional pressure on national economies.
00:25He warns that Europe remains especially vulnerable because it relies on fossil fuel imports more heavily than almost any other
00:33major economy.
00:34Even though the European Union is far from the Middle East, the conflict has already pushed energy prices higher across
00:41the region.
00:42European gas prices have surged by about 50% during the two-week conflict,
00:47placing fresh pressure on households, businesses and governments.
00:50Europe continues to depend heavily on imported energy, bringing in more than 90% of its oil and around 80
00:57% of its natural gas.
00:59EU leaders are now preparing emergency measures to protect consumers and prevent a repeat of the 2022 energy crisis
01:07when Russia sharply cut gas supplies.
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