Europe must cut reliance on natural gas, warns Ursula von der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says that Europe must become less reliant on natural gas (Frederick Florin, Pool via AP)

The European Union’s top official has exhorted the 27 member nations to wean themselves off natural gas not only to speed the transition to clean energy but also to make the bloc a more independent player in the world.

On the eve of an EU summit centreing on the energy crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told legislators that since the bloc imports 90% of its gas — much of it from strategic rival Russia — “this makes us vulnerable.”