"Price spikes from the war highlight the necessity of the renewable energy transition for stability and national security, the U.N. official says."
"The Iran war’s disruption to the global energy market should be a wake-up call for countries that continue to rely on fossil fuels, said United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell in a speech on Monday.
Addressing a European audience at the Green Growth Summit in Brussels, the executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change warned strongly against fossil fuel dependence. He urged government leaders to speed up the renewable energy transition to ensure security and economic growth.
“Climate cooperation is a cure for the chaos of this moment,” Stiell said, according to a transcript published online.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has cut off a fifth of the world’s oil supply, triggering global shortages and price spikes, with ongoing volatility. Describing the last few weeks as “yet another abject lesson,” Stiell said doubling down on fossil fuels is the wrong response.
“This is completely delusional,” Stiell said. “History tells us, this fossil fuel crisis will happen again and again.”"
Keerti Gopal reports for Inside Climate News March 16, 2026.
