You can’t blow up the sun: 4 reasons renewables are a security imperative

Julien Jreissati

6 Mar 2026 3 min read

With an action at the Raemerich roundabout in Esch, Greenpeace Luxembourg activists from Belgium, Spain and Germany call on the Luxembourg Minister of the Economy, Mr Etienne Schneider, to demand, during the negotiations on the "Clean Energy for all Europeans" package, the massive promotion of renewable energies and to speak against the promotion of dirty energies such as coal. Thirty activists transformed the roundabout into a huge sun. In the center of the roundabout, a giant banner reads: ”Go Solar!". In the coming weeks, the EU institutions and national governments will decide on the future EU energy supply system and thus on Europe's contribution to climate protection. — Greenpeace Luxembourg activists call on the Luxembourg Minister of the Economy to demand the promotion of renewable energies.
© Joshua Marx / Greenpeace

I am living through my fourth war in my four decades on this planet.

Beyond the raw, immediate impact my family and I in Lebanon, and countless others are experiencing on the ground, I am watching a deeper crisis unfold at the global level.

Headlines are increasingly dominated by soaring oil and gas prices and market volatility. When the global economy is dependent on a centralised, combustible resource, missiles do more than just cut off power or disrupt shipping. They rock the very foundation of global stability.

When the global economy is dependent on a centralised, combustible resource, missiles do more than just cut off power or disrupt shipping. They rock the very foundation of global stability.

The current crisis is a tragic, undeniable argument for why we must accelerate the transition to Renewable Energy.

Renewables for resilience, independence and defence

Activists unfurled a giant banner outside the Bulgarian National Palace of Culture reading “Our Sun. Our Power. Our Future.” They called on the European energy ministers to recognize the rights of citizens and communities to produce and share their own energy. The ministers are meeting to discuss the ongoing negotiations with the European Parliament and Commission on the Renewable Energy Directive. 25 activists, from 9 countries were on site to meet ministers and hand over photo messages from people across Europe demanding their leaders power the transition away from dirty energy production to clean, renewable energy. — Activists unfurled a banner outside the Bulgarian National Palace of Culture reading “Our Sun. Our Power. Our Future.”
© Boris Dimitrov / Greenpeace

This isn’t just about carbon emissions or climate targets. It’s about resilience, security, and survival.

Here is why a decentralised, renewable-led transition is a path toward vital protection and economic security:

Strengthening the grid: You cannot “blow up” the sun. It is incredibly difficult to disable a decentralised network of millions of rooftop solar panels. Distributed energy is inherently more resilient to sabotage than a handful of massive, vulnerable thermal plants.
Ending energy dependency: Conflict brings blockades and supply chain collapses. A country that produces its own power from its own sun and wind cannot be held hostage by disrupted shipping lanes or volatile oil markets.
Economic sovereignty: As prices soar, nations relying on imported fuels face crippling inflation. Transitioning to local renewables acts as a “hedge” against war driven shocks, keeping costs predictable for families when they are most vulnerable.
Decentralisation as defence: By removing “single points of failure”, we ensure that hospitals, schools, and homes can maintain power even if the national grid is compromised.

Not just energy goal but security imperative

We’ve long advocated for energy sovereignty, but the current situation proves this isn’t a “green” luxury. It is a strategic necessity.

A crowd of people form a giant human banner in front of the Hassan II Mosque and Casablanca International Fair in Casablanca, Morocco with the message in Berber, Arabic and English: "Break Free - go solar", as part of the global "Break Free" movement promoting renewable energies. — People formed a human banner in Casablanca, Morocco with the message “Break Free – go solar.”
© Azeddine Tedjini / Medina Street / Greenpeace

The transition to renewables is often framed as a climate goal. But in a region where stability is fragile, it is also a security imperative.

We need to build energy systems that are as resilient as the people who rely on them. Renewables are the best (and much needed) way to make that happen.