The supply disruption has already resulted in reduced access to the fossil fuels that countries around the world need to produce energy, leading to higher prices that shake global markets in the process.
The United Nations says the bottleneck caused by the virtual closure of the strait underscores a fundamental issue: energy security is no longer just about supply, but also about resilience and finding alternative energy sources in an increasingly unstable world.
Why is it important
Concern over the use of fossil fuels has generally been linked to climate change, due to the warming effects of the gases they produce when burned, but now energy security has become more important.
Earlier this year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that “in this era of war… our addiction to fossil fuels is destabilizing both the climate and global security.”
The impact of war
Since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, it has become increasingly evident that:
- Important oil and gas supplies are concentrated in regions vulnerable to conflict
- Transportation routes may be affected by military escalation
- Price volatility spreads rapidly across economies
The big picture
As countries around the world continue to rely on fossil fuels to meet citizens’ daily needs and drive economic growth, it has become clear that they are more vulnerable than ever to sudden supply disruptions.
Stable and strategic relationships with other countries to guarantee energy supplies are a rare commodity as energy demand grows.
“Three quarters of humanity live in countries that are net importers of fossil fuels, dependent on energy they do not control and at prices they cannot predict,” Guterres said in February of this year.
Technicians work on a solar panel in Chattisgarh state, India.
The UN chief also warned of the risk of development budgets “being diverted towards fuel bills, at the constant mercy of geopolitical upheaval and supply disruptions”, insisting: “We must stop treating the transition away from fossil fuels as a taboo.”
The promise of renewable energy
One solution to protect against the crisis and chaos caused by lack of access to fossil fuels is to transition to renewable energy sources, for example solar, wind and hydro.
These offer a fundamentally different, more accessible and potentially cheaper energy supply model.
Renewable energy is typically locally sourced, domestically produced, and therefore less vulnerable to the global upheaval that geopolitical crises can cause.
As UN climate chief Simon Stiell emphasized earlier this year, “renewable energy is the clearest and cheapest path to energy security and sovereignty, protecting countries and economies from the shocks unleashed by wars, trade turbulence and the ‘might is right’ policy that impoverishes all nations.”
The energy transition underway
The transition from fossil fuel sources to renewable energy has already begun.
Kenya, in East Africa, has become a world leader in renewable energy, particularly geothermal energy, and generates the vast majority of its electricity from renewables.
The South American nation, Chile, is one of the fastest growing renewable energy markets in the world. It has moved away from coal-fired power generation by increasing solar and wind power, taking advantage of natural conditions such as those found in the Atacama Desert.
India has also focused on expanding solar and wind infrastructure, integrating renewables into its national development and electrification strategies, although it still relies heavily on oil and gas that typically arrive through the Strait of Hormuz from countries bordering the Persian Gulf.
Read the UN Energy Progress Report 2025
Popular power, the final result
While energy security is a growing geopolitical issue that sovereign nations must address, it is also deeply personal, affecting families and individuals around the world as people face higher energy bills and an overall increase in the cost of living.
Gasoline prices are increasing globally.
In most cases, according to the UN, renewable energy is cheaper than coal, oil or gas and can therefore directly reduce electricity costs for households.
Renewables can also protect people from future price increases by providing cheaper, more stable energy directly to communities.