How Europe can reduce reliance on imported gas and what it means for business leaders in Oil & Companies News 22/04/2026 The EU has several levers it can pull to reduce its exposure to volatile gas markets if the energy crisis were to intensify. Lowering gas demand is possible, but it comes with significant challenges and sacrifices. For households, further reductions are limited as thermostats are already turned down in the spring and summer – meaning that actions like shorter, less frequent showers may be necessary. In industry, decreased gas consumption is often the result of closures and deindustrialisation, rather than improved efficiency. In the short term, maximising the output of existing hydro, nuclear, and coal power plants offers the most immediate relief for the power sector. While renewables surged after the 2022 energy crisis, current grid constraints limit their ability to provide a rapid solution. Over the medium term, expanding biogas production presents meaningful potential. Although offshore gas production is naturally declining, there is still an opportunity to extend the use of remaining resources and tap into new fields. This renewed crisis is likely to accelerate efforts to revive the nuclear sector, but such projects require many years to come to fruition. Unlike the energy crisis of the 1970s, which led to France’s nuclear expansion, today, renewables are set to become the foundation of Europe’s future energy systems. As a business leader, immediate actions such as reducing gas usage or temporarily substituting gas with coal can help manage short-term supply disruptions. However, these approaches are not without challenges, particularly the potential for higher carbon costs from a gas to coal switch. To address supply risks and cost pressures more sustainably, companies should focus on increasing their reliance on renewable energy, investing in solutions that enhance grid capacity, expanding biogas production and utilisation, and supporting domestic offshore gas projects. These strategies can provide structural resilience against volatile gas markets. Gas demand down 20% since Russian gas crisis, but further cuts will be harder Since the 2022 energy crunch, European gas consumption has dropped from roughly 540 billion cubic meters (bcm) to 430 bcm, a notable reduction of 110 bcm, or 20%. Despite this progress, Europe still imports about 70% of its gas (350 bcm), leaving it exposed to supply risks. In the building sector, gas use has been structurally reduced by 8%, mainly due to conscious use (lower thermostats), better insulation, and increased adoption of heat pumps. The process of “greening” buildings is ongoing, but there are limited opportunities for rapid change. Industry has seen gas consumption fall by 26%, but most of this has resulted from plant closures rather than efficiency gains. The chemical sector lost 37 million tons of gas and oil intensive refinery capacity due to shutdowns since 2022, while only seven megatons of new, “greener” capacity has been added, mostly in the battery, biobased, circular value chains and the modernisation of existing plants. In the power and district heating sector, gas demand has dropped an impressive 30% compared to pre-crisis levels. Although electricity demand fell by just 3%, the power sector managed deeper gas reductions by shifting to renewables. The question now is how much further Europe can reduce its dependence on imported gas and how that might affect busine