IEA: To fight Russian aggression, Britain needs to frack

Commenting on Europe's reliance on Russian gas, Andy Mayer, Energy Analyst at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

"To fight Russian aggression, Britain needs to frack.

"Europe’s dependency on Russian supply for 40 per cent of its gas has enabled Vladimir Putin to risk his invasion of Ukraine. He is confident that any retaliation, including the cancellation of Nord Stream 2, will be short-lived.

"Europe has ambitious Net Zero plans, but they will take decades to deliver. In the interim, it needs new sources of gas. The UK has already restarted North Sea approvals; it now needs to lift the moratorium on onshore fracking.

"Whatever stance is taken on Net Zero, it’s better that profits from heating our homes fund British priorities, including low carbon investment, rather than fuelling the Russian war machine."