17 July 2024
The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Level 3, 55 Whitehall,
London, SW1A 2HP
Dear Secretary Miliband,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing on behalf of Razom We Stand, a Ukrainian climate non-profit active internationally, calling for a total and permanent embargo on Russian fossil fuels and an immediate end to all investment into Russian oil and gas companies and rebuilding Ukraine on completely clean energy. We are deeply concerned about the recent contract awarded to TotalEnergies for gas supply to the UK public sector by the previous conservative government. This contract, worth up to £8 billion, poses significant ethical and geopolitical risks that must be addressed immediately.
By continuing this Conservative Party contract, billions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money are poised to flow to TotalEnergies, a company that has previously been accused of helping fund war atrocities in Ukraine and is still importing Russian gas to Europe, directly undermining the UK’s firm stance against Russian aggression. Despite the assurances that the contract follows UK sanctions requirements, the ethical implications are clear: funding a company that indirectly supports Russia’s war chest at the expense of innocent Ukrainian lives is untenable.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russia has amassed more than $700 billion in profits from fossil fuel exports. It is rushing to develop new Siberian and Arctic LNG gas fields, a project in which TotalEnergies is a joint shareholder. Russia’s ongoing fossil fuels expansion in the Arctic can set a fuse to numerous carbon bombs and pose a dire threat to international efforts on climate change mitigation.
Oil and gas exports pay for Russia’s brutal ongoing attacks on Ukraine. They also give blood money to further Russian militarisation, signifying a perilous path towards conflict intensification, escalation outside Ukraine and threatening the future of democracy and the rule of law. Russia’s 2024 federal budget demonstrates a staggering allocation of resources to the military-industrial complex, unprecedented since Soviet times. A startling shift in budgetary focus, with a third dedicated to military spending, underscores the alarming escalation of aggression.
We urge the UK government to act swiftly and decisively to cancel this contract. Allowing it to proceed sends a dangerous message that economic considerations can outweigh moral and ethical responsibilities. Immediate termination of this contract will demonstrate the UK’s unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine and upholding international law.
The UK has rightly emphasised the importance of energy independence to avoid vulnerabilities to petro-dictatorial regimes like Putin’s. However, maintaining a contract with TotalEnergies contradicts this principle. True energy independence cannot be achieved while engaging with companies entangled with Russian energy supplies.
The UK should prioritise global peace and the lives of Ukraine’s people over an ill-considered Conservative Party contract with a company financially contributing to a brutal war. Ethical procurement practices are not just a moral obligation but a necessity for maintaining the UK’s integrity and leadership on the global stage.
Ukraine has the potential to become a significant player in renewable energy, which aligns with the EU’s and the UK’s goals for a sustainable and secure energy future. Supporting Ukraine’s renewable energy sector can not only generate significant financial revenues and competitive advantages for European and UK clean energy businesses but also pave the way for absolute energy independence and a genuine energy transition, providing real energy security
We respectfully call on the UK government to cancel the Conservative Government contract with TotalEnergies and to take a stand that aligns with our shared values of peace, human rights, and sustainability. By doing so, the UK will reinforce its commitment to ethical practices and international solidarity, particularly with Ukraine in its time of need.
We are keen to discuss this matter further and offer any support necessary to facilitate this critical action. Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.
Sincerely,
Svitlana Romanko,
Founder and Director of Razom We Stand
