The EU's energy and climate diplomacy with global partners is guided by the EU external energy engagement strategy. It aims to advance sustainable, secure and affordable energy systems in Europe and around the world, in line with the Paris Agreement and subsequent climate commitments such as those adopted at COP28.
Strategy for EU external energy engagement
In the context of the global energy crisis, aggravated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the deepening climate emergency, the EU external energy engagement strategy was presented in May 2022 as part of the REPowerEU Plan. It aims to reinforce the EU’s engagement with partners and strengthen its climate and energy diplomacy.
It sets out the objectives of the EU’s external energy policy which include
- reducing overall energy demand and ensuring fair competition for resources
- boosting energy savings, energy efficiency and the development of renewables
- supporting Ukraine to build back better
- preparing for further EU energy market integration
- repairing energy infrastructure
- paving the way for a future green hydrogen partnership
EU Energy Platform
At the request of the European Council, and in line with REPowerEU, the Commission launched the EU Energy Platform in April 2022 to secure the EU's energy supply and to phase out our dependency on Russian gas.
To date, the platform has played a key role in diversifying supplies, increasing efficiency of infrastructure use, and negotiating with reliable international partners.
A strong engagement in support of renewables and energy efficiency
Without acting decisively on renewables and energy efficiency, the 1.5°C trajectory agreed in Paris 2015 will be compromised. Current policies at global level, particularly those concerning the energy transition, would lead to a temperature increase of 3°C, based on the Commission’s Global Energy and Climate Outlook 2022.
In line with the EU external energy engagement strategy, European Commission President von der Leyen, accompanied by over 130 world leaders, launched the Global Pledge on Renewables and Energy Efficiency at the World Climate Action Summit of COP28 in December 2023.
The video is also available on the EC AV portal.
The pledge aims to
- triple the global installed capacity of renewable energy sources to at least 11 TW by 2030
- double the global rate of energy efficiency improvements from about 2% to over 4% by 2030
When implemented together, these 2 goals will ensure that almost no new fossil capacities are deployed and that the world moves away from unabated fossil fuels at a pace in line with our 1.5°C goal.
The pledge and its objective were ultimately adopted by all countries in the first Global Stocktake adopted at COP28. In essence, thanks to the efforts of EU diplomacy, the pledge and its goals have now become a global commitment, on which the EU and all countries in the world are now following up.
The Global Methane Pledge
Together with the US, the EU launched the Global Methane Pledge at COP26 in 2021. Its more than 150 participating countries agree to take voluntary actions to contribute to a collective effort to reduce global methane emissions at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
At COP28, the EU and its member countries announced €175 million in support of the Methane Finance Spirit to boost methane reduction and President von der Leyen committed to developing a roadmap for COP29 to roll-out a global scheme called “You Collect, We Buy”, to incentivise companies to commercialise gas that would otherwise go to waste.
Documents
Related links
- 2 December 2023: EU leads global initiative at COP28 to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency measures by 2030
- 2 December 2023: EU announces €175m support to reduce methane emissions
- 7 June 2023: Readout of meetings with the COP28 President
- 20 April 2023: Statement by President von der Leyen at the Major Economies Forum
- 18 May 2022: REPowerEU: A plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast forward the green transition*