Accelerated deployment of renewable energy and heat pumps could reduce European Union gas demand by approximately 25% by 2030, according to a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and the Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
The study argues that meeting existing solar and wind targets would allow the bloc to achieve greater energy sovereignty without locking in new long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contracts.
The potential savings in gas consumption are significant enough to exceed the volume of LNG the EU is expected to import from Qatar in the coming years.
This finding challenges the prevailing strategy of securing new gas supply deals to replace Russian pipeline flows, suggesting instead that demand-side reduction through electrification and efficiency could be a more effective path to energy security.
Europe’s energy mix has already shifted decisively toward natural gas and renewables in recent years, with coal and petroleum consumption continuing to decline.
Preliminary data from 2025 indicates that the bloc’s reliance on gas has grown even as renewable capacity expands.