Richard Branson says individuals, governments should cap their energy use to help end the war in Ukraine

Richard Branson says individuals, governments should cap their energy use to help end the war in Ukraine

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson on Wednesday called on individuals and governments to cap their driving speeds and turn down their heating in a bid to reduce reliance on Russian energy and bring about an end to the war in Ukraine. The billionaire entrepreneur told CNBC that small personal sacrifices could reduce demand for Russian power, in turn bringing down prices and easing the cost-of-living crisis. "It's really important than we get rid of our dependence on Russian oil, gas and coal, and we must do that immediately," Branson told CNBC's Rosanna Lockwood. "If we can reduce the West's dependence on fuel, say by just 10%, that will free up something like three billion barrels of fuel. That will be plenty to make sure that countries like Germany do not have to import anymore," he said, referring to European countries' reliance on Russian energy. Russia is a major source of energy for consumers globally. The European Union is particularly dependent, importing 45% of its gas from Russia in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency. However, Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine earlier this year has drawn that reliance into question. As governments have sought to reduce their dependence on Russian