Europe’s Energy Crisis Complicates COP for Key Climate Player

The European Union has long been one of climate diplomacy’s most important players. The bloc has arguably gone further than any other large emitter in actually implementing the goal of reaching climate neutrality by the middle of the century. In just the last month, it agreed on crucial bits of its landmark green deal regulation, including phasing out new combustion engines by 2035.

But at this year’s COP27 summit, the EU’s role as a climate vanguard has been complicatedby the region’s energy crisis and the need to replace Russian gas supplies as quickly as possible.

Europe’s member states have increased consumption of coal, the most harmful fossil fuel, and sought new gas supply contracts in the US, the Middle East and Africa, raising concern that it will lock-in fossil fuel production for decades to come. When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh last week, campaigners accused him of “energy colonialism” after looking for gas from Senegal.

Ursula von der Leyen, Commission President, told delegates in Sharm el-Sheikh last weekthat “The global fossil fuel crisis must be a game changer”.

The Commission has called to boost its renewable and energy efficiency targets by the end of the decade and proposed plans to drastically cut permitting times for wind and solar, which can take as long as a decade.

The test will be whether new direction from the top filters down into Europe’s 27 member states. As this year’s COP enters its second week and the serious horse-trading to get an agreement everyone can sign, the EU delegation will feel added pressure to play a constructive role.

India’s push to add a call for the phase down of all fossil fuels into the agreement at COP27 gained momentum as the European Union, small island states and the UK are expected to support the move.

The coalition of some of the world’s biggest emitters — as well as the Alliance of Small Island States, some of countries hit hardest by climate change — will put pressure on the Egyptian presidency of the summit to include the language in the first draft of its cover decision, which is expected early this week. It is likely to face heavy push back from oil and gas producers as well as China. Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said in an interview last week that the kingdom would be very unlikely to support an agreement that included the phase down of oil.

Indian negotiators led the push for a decision on phasing down all fossil fuels on Saturday. While its strategy stems largely from the coal-dependent country’s desire to not be singled out for its dependence on dirty fossil fuel, others are seeing it as an opportunity to push for more ambition.