Energy Ministers Fail to Agree on Climate Goals as US Drives Wedge

Why It Matters

The split highlights growing U.S. resistance to global net‑zero targets, potentially slowing coordinated climate action and reshaping IEA governance dynamics.

Key Takeaways

• US blocks IEA net‑zero consensus
• Europe pushes renewable and nuclear investments
• No joint communiqué on climate goals
• Raw‑material monitoring agreement reached
• IEA expands membership to four emerging economies

Pulse Analysis

The United States’ hard‑line stance at the IEA ministerial underscores a strategic pivot away from collective net‑zero commitments. By publicly questioning the agency’s climate outlook and threatening withdrawal, the U.S. aims to curb what it perceives as overreaching policy that could disadvantage its fossil‑fuel interests. This maneuver not only fractures the consensus among major economies but also signals to other IEA members that national energy security may trump global climate ambitions, complicating the pathway to coordinated emissions reductions.

European leaders responded by doubling down on renewable and nuclear investments, framing energy security as compatible with decarbonisation. The UK, France, and Spain reiterated support for the COP28 net‑zero trajectory, while also seeking common ground with Washington on nuclear expansion. This diplomatic balancing act reflects a broader trend: nations are attempting to reconcile short‑term supply concerns—exacerbated by geopolitical tensions—with long‑term climate goals. The meeting’s official summary, which highlighted the “importance of the energy transition,” serves as a diplomatic compromise that keeps the climate conversation alive despite the lack of a unified statement.

Meanwhile, the IEA’s outreach to emerging economies—adding Colombia, Brazil, India and Vietnam—signals an effort to broaden its relevance and dilute the impact of any single member’s dissent. Expanding membership diversifies the agency’s data pool and strengthens its legitimacy in a multipolar energy landscape. As the IEA navigates these internal divisions, its ability to set global standards will hinge on balancing the divergent priorities of its traditional Western base with the growing influence of new member states, shaping the future of international energy policy.

Energy ministers fail to agree on climate goals as US drives wedge

International Energy Agency meeting focuses on energy security · Ian Johnston, Paris

Published 6 hours ago

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Energy ministers failed to reach agreement on tackling climate change over a two‑day International Energy Agency meeting marked by a sustained attack on net‑zero ambitions by the US energy secretary Chris Wright.

Unlike in recent years, ministers did not agree a joint position following the talks, in a sign of the divisions stoked by the US. The UK, France and Spain were among countries maintaining the importance of renewable sources.

A meeting summary prepared by chair Sophie Hermans, the Dutch energy minister, focused largely on “energy security”. It noted a “large majority of ministers had stressed the importance of the energy transition to combat climate change”, referencing the UN COP28 climate agreement in Dubai for a global transition to net‑zero emissions. This followed an affirmation of the “continued importance of oil and gas”.

Fatih Birol, the director of the international energy watchdog, said on Thursday that ministers “agreed in different discussions that energy security is the fundament of everything”.

Ministers have previously failed to reach agreements but the lack of a joint communiqué stands in contrast to previous IEA ministerial meetings, where there was consensus on tackling climate change.

Ministers warned at their last gathering in 2024 that extreme weather events “emphasise the urgency to accelerate clean energy transitions” and referred to a “triple planetary crisis: climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss”.

The lukewarm defence for climate action this year came as the US has continued its attack on the IEA’s net‑zero policy outlooks at the meeting in Paris, reflecting stark differences on energy policy between the US and Europe.

The US repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the IEA, but Wright also said he did not want to risk China gaining more influence over the agency.

The energy secretary, and founder of oil group Liberty Energy, said he would continue to put pressure on the IEA over the “next year or so” to move away from advocating for net zero.

Birol would not comment on whether he would seek to be renewed once his September 2027 term ends. He also hailed the progress towards an expanded IEA membership of four new countries — Colombia, Brazil, India and Vietnam.

On Thursday, Wright also attacked European member states for going “off track in energy policy”, after President Donald Trump had criticised a UK clean‑energy co‑operation agreement with California Governor Gavin Newsom as “inappropriate”.

Speaking on the sidelines of the IEA event, UK energy secretary Ed Miliband defended his approach to expanding British supplies of clean power.

“The US is absolutely entitled to pursue what it sees as its national interest, and other countries will pursue their own national interests,” Miliband told journalists. “For the vast majority of countries, the clean energy transition is unstoppable.”

Roland Lescure, his French counterpart, said: “We are convinced that climate change is both a reality and a threat that we must attack. And that means, of course, investing massively in decarbonised energy.”

Both Miliband and Lescure said Europe could reach agreement with the US on other priorities on which they had common ground, such as expanding nuclear energy.

Irish energy minister Darragh O’Brien told the FT that “it is better to have the US in the IEA than out”.

Ministers did reach agreement on a statement to enhance monitoring of critical raw‑material supplies and to promote access to clean‑cooking fuel after support from the US.