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By Zia Weise | 04/24/2026 11:26 AM EDT
Wopke Hoekstra says the bloc must gain “energy independence” to protect itself.
EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra delivers a speech at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue conference in Berlin on Wednesday. John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images
BRUSSELS — The European Union can only protect itself from the worsening Iran energy crisis by “fast-forwarding” its transition away from fossil fuels, Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said Thursday.
The bloc’s climate chief insists the EU must speed up the switch to cleaner energy sources and the electrification of its economy as the blockade in the Persian Gulf continues to threaten supplies and drive up prices of oil and gas.
That means accelerating the deployment of wind turbines, covering roofs across the bloc in solar panels, installing millions of heat pumps, and pouring money into power grids, he told POLITICO in an interview.
“The end is not nearly in sight … and I am convinced that this will get worse,” he said of the energy shock, which experts have described as the worst the world has ever experienced.
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