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.
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.
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.
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 become a global commitment, on which the EU and all countries in the world are following up. The Global Renewables Summit, taking place in September 2024, will over 3 days discuss the progress, opportunities and challenges of tripling renewable energy globally by 2030.
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 with global energy partners. They aim to strengthen the EU’s international energy cooperation and focus on priorities, as listed below.
- 17 July 2023 - EU and Argentina press release and the Memorandum of Understanding
- 7 November 2022 EU and Kazakhstan news and Memorandum of Understanding
- 8 November 2022 EU and Namibia press release and Memorandum of Understanding
- 16 November 2022 EU and Egypt news and Memorandum of Understanding
- 2 December 2022 EU and Japan press release and Memorandum of Understanding
- 18 July 2023 – EU and Uruguay press release and the Memorandum of Understanding
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.
Energy Efficiency Hub
The Commission is 1 of 16 voluntary members of the Energy Efficiency Hub, established at the G20 meeting in Hamburg 2017. It seeks to strengthen global intergovernmental collaboration on energy efficiency and allows members to learn from each other on the design and implementation of energy efficiency policies to overcome common challenges. Its Secretariat is hosted by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The Commission is a member of 3 Energy Efficiency Hub task groups
- Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliances Deployment (SEAD) - this group is led by the UK, India and Sweden and the Commission. 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.
- 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*