EU external energy engagements

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

On 6 May 2025, the Commission presented a roadmap to phase out EU imports of Russian gas, oil and nuclear energy.

EU Energy and Raw materials Platform

The EU Energy and Raw Materials Platform, launched in July 2025, aims at diversifying strategic energy materials to the EU and attracting reliable international partners, by leveraging the size and power of the Union market towards more competitiveness for Europe’s industry, security of supply and decarbonisation. The platform will host several mechanisms covering, hydrogen and derivatives, strategic raw materials, and natural gas, including biomethane and liquified natural gas (LNG).

It builds on the expertise gained from crisis-related initiatives under the EU Energy Platform including the demand aggregation mechanism AggregateEU.

Global Energy Transition forum

The Global Energy Transition Forum was launched in January 2025 by President von der Leyen, together with the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol. 

On the back of the Global pledge on renewables and energy efficiency, the forum brings together global partners to cooperate on maintaining the momentum on the clean energy transition, delivering flagship projects, and unlocking more investment.

The forum facilitates EU cooperation with partners including Brazil, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Peru, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and many others.

Global pledge on 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.

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 become a global commitment, on which the EU and all countries in the world are following up

• The Global Renewables Summit, in September 2024, focused on the progress, opportunities and challenges of tripling renewable energy globally by 2030.
• The International Renewable Energy Agency launched in October 2024 a 3-month digital campaign ‘3xRenewables- for the planet & its people‘ to advocate tripling global renewable power capacity by 2030
• COP 29 in Baku, November 2024, aims to take the global commitment further

Global Methane Pledge

Together with the U.S., the EU launched the Global Methane Pledge at COP26 in 2021. Its 159 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. At COP29, the Commission launched a Methane Abatement Partnership Roadmap to facilitate greater collaboration on cutting methane emissions between importers and exporters.

Energy Efficiency Hub 

The Commission is 1 of 17 voluntary members of the Energy Efficiency Hub, whose creation was proposed at the G20 meeting in Hamburg 2017. The Hub was established in 2019 as a Special Activity of the IEA, its mandate has since been extended by the Members until 2029.

The Commission is a member of 3 out of the 5 Energy Efficiency Hub task groups. Those 3 task groups are:

• Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliances Deployment (SEAD) -  It promotes the manufacture, purchase, and use of efficient appliances, lighting, and equipment worldwide.
• Energy Efficiency in Buildings – aims to exchange policy information about improving energy efficiency in buildings.
• Digitalisation Working Group – focuses on advancing digitalisation of energy efficient technologies in the buildings, industry and transport sectors.

Energy-related Memoranda of Understanding 

Since the strategy for EU external energy engagement was launched in May 2022, the EU has signed several memoranda of understandings (MoUs) with global energy partners. They aim to strengthen the EU’s international energy cooperation and focus on priorities, as listed below. 

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