JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU global climate and energy vision: securing Europe's competitive role in world markets and accelerating the clean transition
Date: 2025-10-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
Subjects: EU energy policy, EU industrial policy, EU strategy, carbon neutrality, clean technology, competitiveness, energy transition, international cooperation, renewable energy, sustainable development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY Brussels, 16.10.2025  JOIN(2025) 25 final  JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU global climate and energy vision: securing Europe's competitive role in world markets and accelerating the clean transition  
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION 

We  are  living  through  a  period  of  high  political  tensions,  shifting  alliances  and  evolving 
diplomatic  norms.  In  a  world  being  rapidly  reshaped  by  climate  change  and  environmental 
degradation, disruptions in value chains and fierce global competition, Europe and European 
industries face challenges and existential choices on how to transition sustainably in the global 
marketplace. Effective multilateralism and diplomacy are essential to tackle these challenges, 
convince  other  countries  to  step  up  their  climate  ambition,  boost  our  energy  security,  and 
accelerate the irreversible global clean transition. 

Building on the Clean Industrial Deal, our transformational business plan for Europe, this Joint 
Communication of the European Commission and the High Representative sets out a vision to 
shape  a  global  clean  and  resilient  transition.  This  is  our  international  strategy  for 
securing Europe’s place in global markets and for driving sustainable change that also 
supports our industrial and technological strengths.  

The  clean  transition  brings  many  opportunities.  This  is  particularly  relevant  as  the  EU  is 
dependent on imports of fossil fuels and other key resources. To keep pace with other major 
powers,  we  must  secure  and  expand  Europe’s  role  in  the  global  clean  transition.  This  will 
require significant investments, but the cost of inaction is far greater in the face of the escalating 
economic, security, human and health impacts of climate change, pollution and biodiversity 
loss. We must take the Clean Industrial Deal global, strengthening existing partnerships and 
forging new ones that are mutually beneficial. 

A well-functioning multilateral system and a rules-based international order with the United 
Nations at its core, is in Europe’s interests. The EU’s message to its global partners is clear: 
we are working to fulfil the goals set out in the Paris Agreement; we are a reliable partner that 
plays by the rules; and we are open to cooperation.  

Multilateral  cooperation  works.  Ten  years  since  the  Paris  Agreement  was  adopted,  it  is 
delivering results. In 2015, the world was on a path to reach 3.7 °C of warming by 2100. Today, 
current policies set the world on a path to reach 2.7 °C, while full implementation of all 2030 
nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and long-term pledges would reduce warming to 
2.1-2.3 °C (1). The EU has reduced its emissions by 37% and now produces only 6% of global 
greenhouse gas emissions (2), a figure commensurate with its share in world’s population. The 
EU and its Member States are the biggest climate finance contributor in the world. Guided by 
science, we are delivering on our commitments and will continue to do so. Others must now 
step up, both to cut emissions and scale up finance. 

At COP28, nearly 200 countries including the EU made a breakthrough collective pledge on 
the clean energy transition. Governments agreed to triple renewable power capacity globally 
and double energy efficiency improvements by 2030 and to transition away from fossil fuels 
in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner so as to achieve net zero by 2050. 
The IEA currently projects global renewable energy capacity to grow 2.6 times by 2030, driven 
by  record  deployments  and  increasing  competitiveness  with  fossil  fuels  ( 3 ).  However, 

(1)  Nationally  determined  contributions  under  the  Paris  Agreement.  Synthesis  report  by  the  secretariat  | 

UNFCCC. 

(2)  China represents 29%, the US 11% and India 8%. EDGAR report 2025, European Commission Joint Research 

Centre. 

(3)  IEA Renewables 2025  

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significant  efforts  are  still  needed  on  energy  efficiency  to  meet  these  goals.  Europe’s 
commitment  and  leadership  on  setting  these  goals  emphasises  the  role  of  effective 
multilateralism and diplomacy in accelerating the global clean transition. 

The EU will keep adapting its energy and climate diplomacy to the new reality. Our diplomatic 
outreach - carried out in close cooperation with the EU Member States under the Team Europe 
approach - will protect the EU’s core interests, drive global climate and environment action, 
promote  climate  adaptation,  and  ensure  the  security  of  energy  supply  and  access  to  raw 
materials.  Our  diplomacy  will  also  better  respond  to  the  impacts  Europe’s  clean  transition 
inevitably  has  on  our  partners  outside  Europe.  We  will  continue  to  assist  our  partners  in 
developing  their  own  ambitious  climate  and  energy  policies,  fostering  carbon  pricing,  and 
promoting standards for a fair transition. We will also address the new physical and hybrid 
security  threats  to  critical  infrastructure  that  the  climate,  environment  and  water  crises 
exacerbate, and that endanger both European interests and those of our partners. 

This is Europe’s offer to the world: we stand ready to continue building coalitions and deepen 
our  partnerships  to  accelerate  the  global  clean  transition  and  drive  sustainable  and  resilient 
growth worldwide, as a credible, forward-looking and trusted partner. 

2.  FACING UP TO A CHANGING WORLD: ADVANCING GLOBAL CLIMATE 

ACTION, ENERGY SECURITY AND CLEAN INDUSTRIALISATION 

2.1. A world in transition 

Our  vision  builds  on  the  major  global  shifts  that  have  taken  place  since  the  Paris 
Agreement in 2015. Back then, a global clean transition was only a possibility. Today, it is a 
reality. Clean investments have overtaken fossil fuel funding: for every EUR 1 invested in 
fossil fuels globally, EUR 2 are invested in clean energy (4). What once was framed as a cost 
to bear for the sake of our livelihood, has become an engine of competitiveness, resilience and 
prosperity.  Falling  technology  costs  and  shifting  investments  are  reshaping  the  global 
economy. The question is no longer whether the transition will occur, but how fast, where, and 
who will benefit. 

At  the  same  time,  the  global  economy  has  started  decoupling  from  emissions,  with 
emissions rising by only 0.8% in 2023 while the global economy grew by 3%. In the EU,: GDP 
grew by 68% from 1990 to 2023, while emissions fell by 37% over the same period, showing 
the continued decoupling between emissions and economic growth (5). A major driver of this 
is the increase in low-emission sources of electricity generation. 

However, limiting global warming to 1.5 °C requires deeper, more rapid and sustained global 
greenhouse gas emission cuts: 43% by 2030 and 60% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels before 
reaching  net-zero  CO2  emissions  by  2050  ( 6 ).  This  requires  a  managed  and  accelerated 
transition away from fossil fuels, a massive expansion of renewable energy, becoming more 
energy efficient in all sectors, promoting resource efficiency and the circular economy, and 
accelerating the deployment of zero- and low-carbon technologies. Sharp reductions in non-
CO2 emissions, notably methane and fluorinated gases, and decarbonisation of key sectors – 
notably transport and industry – are also essential.  

(4)   IEA World Energy Investment 2025  

(5)   COM/2024/498 final: EU Climate Action Progress Report 2024 

(6)  IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) Synthesis Report, Summary for Policymakers 

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The global clean transition is accelerating – progress since 2015 (7) 

•  Global  greenhouse  gas  emissions  have  increased  by  8.5%  since  2015,  while 

global real GDP has increased by 40.9%. 

•  Global renewable energy capacity has increased by 140% since 2015, from 1 849 

GW to 4 443 GW in 2024. 

•  582  GW  of  new  renewable  energy  capacity  was  added  globally  in  2024 
representing 80% of total electricity demand growth, a 283% increase versus 2015 
(152 GW).  

•  Renewable electricity production is  cheaper than that from fossil fuels:  from 
2015 to 2024 the average global levelized cost of electricity of solar photovoltaics 
fell by 68%, onshore wind by 56%, and offshore wind by 49% (8). 

•  63 nuclear reactors are under construction around the world, representing more 
than 70 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, one of the highest levels seen since 1990. 

•  In 2024, EUR 1.0 trillion of global investment was made in fossil-based energy 
versus EUR 2.0 trillion in clean energy – a 2:1 ratio in favour of clean energy. 
Investment in clean energy rose by 78% compared to 2015 (EUR 1.4 trillion in fossil 
versus EUR 1.1 trillion in clean). 

•  The EU share of these clean energy investments was 19%, or EUR 334 billion – a 

total increase of 111% since 2015 (EUR 158 billion). 

•  Global  manufacturing  capacity  for  clean  energy  technologies  is  expanding 
rapidly: between 2021 and 2023, production capacity increased from just over 450 
GW to 1.2 TW for solar photovoltaic modules, from 125 GW to 180 GW for wind, 
from 10.5 to 22.2 million units for electric vehicles, from 1.1 TWh to 2.5 TWh for 
batteries, and tripled to 25 GW for electrolysers. 

•  There were 36.3 million clean tech jobs globally in 2024 – up 21% since 2019 (30 
million). 100 000 new clean tech jobs were created in the EU in 2023, representing 
4% of all job growth. 

•  80  jurisdictions  had  national  carbon  pricing  instruments  in  place  or  under 

development in 2025 – double the 40 jurisdictions in 2015. 

Fossil  fuels  and  their  producers  still  shape  geopolitics  and  generate  80%  of  global  primary 
energy  use.  Since  the  oil  crises  of  the  1970s,  fossil  fuel  dependency  has  been  repeatedly 
weaponised  by  some  fossil  fuel  producers,  most  recently  Russia.  But  this  cuts  both  ways: 
economic  dependence  on  fossil  fuel  exports  makes  Russia  and  some  other  producers 
vulnerable. An alternative path is possible: some major producers, for example in the Gulf, 
are choosing to adapt and invest in renewable electricity and hydrogen and its derivatives. 

(7)  IRENA  Renewable  Energy  Statistics  2025,  IEA  World  Energy  Investment  2025,  IEA  World  Energy 
Employment  2024,  IEA  Energy  Technology  Perspectives  2024,  IEA  World  Energy  Outlook  2024,  IEA 
Global Energy Review 2025, 2024 EUR/USD conversion values. 

(8)  EUR 0.040/kWh for solar PV, EUR 0.031/kWh for onshore wind, and EUR 0.073/kWh for offshore wind 
versus EUR 0.067/kWh for coal and EUR 0.079/kWh for gas, IRENA Renewable Power Generation Costs 
2024. 

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While fossil fuels will continue to be used during the transition, for economies reliant on fossil 
fuel imports or exports, the secure long-term choice is to build on clean and affordable energy. 

The role of renewable energy and clean technologies as growth drivers will expand. By 
2040,  renewables,  nuclear  and  other  forms  of  clean  energy  are  projected  to  supply  50%  of 
global energy. The global clean technologies market is expected to grow from EUR 600 billion 
in 2023 to over EUR 2 trillion by 2035.  

2.2. Protect and promote Europe’s industry 

The EU must reap the benefits of that growth and has set a 15% target of global production of 
clean technologies in the Net Zero Industry Act. The EU has the potential to export more clean 
tech solutions to countries looking for alternatives. While the EU market for clean technologies 
is expected to grow to EUR 375 billion in 2035, the EU needs to accelerate efforts to reap the 
benefits of growing clean tech markets in the EU and across the world (9). 

The  EU  pioneered  research  and  innovation  in  renewable  energy,  sustaining  industrial 
leadership through incremental domestic demand and exports. In 2023 Member States provided 
nearly  EUR  8.5  billion  in  funding  for  the  Energy  Union  research  and  innovation  priorities, 
combined with over EUR 2 billion of relevant Horizon Europe projects. This amount places 
the EU in the lead among major economies in clean energy technologies public spending (10).  

However, clean technology leadership is shifting. In recent years, through an assertive long-
term  industrial  policy  supported  by  state  subsidised  overcapacity  and  through  sheer  scale, 
China has captured significant portions of entire value chains and become a global leader 
in clean technologies. In 2024, China manufactured over 70% of global electric vehicles, 80% 
of wind turbines and 90% of solar photovoltaic modules (11). 

While from 2015-2023 95% of the increase in clean energy capital expenditure took place in 
advanced markets and China; now the clean transition is spreading worldwide. In Africa, 
imports  of  solar  panels  surged  by  60%  between  June  2024  and  2025  to  15 GW,  with  25 
countries importing  over 100 MW each (12). The electric car market  is  booming, with  sales 
across developing and emerging economies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America rising by 60% 
in 2024 (13). For example, 60% of new cars sold in Ethiopia were battery electric vehicles in 
2024  after  the  country  banned  internal  combustion  engine  imports  ( 14).  65%  of  electricity 
generated in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024 came from clean sources (15). The global 
battery market is expected to double over the next five years, and the wind turbine market is 
growing by over 10% annually. These global shifts are not only about climate action; they are 
also  about  sustainable development,  replacing  expensive fossil fuel  imports with  affordable 
renewables.  

(9)   IEA Energy Technology Perspectives 2024 

(10)  Progress on competitiveness of clean energy technology COM (2025)74 final 

(11)  García-Herrero & Mu, “China can decarbonise the world – but even that won’t fix its overcapacity problem”, 

24 September 2025, Brugel  

(12)  EMBER, The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa, 26 August 2025  

(13)  IEA Global EV Outlook 2025 

(14)  Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy et al., Ethiopian Energy Outlook 2025, May 2025  

(15)  EMBER, Latin America and Caribbean Region Overview, 26 August 2025 

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But this is not enough: the transition is now happening worldwide, but it is not happening 
fast  enough  outside  of  advanced  markets  and  China.  European  energy  and  climate 
engagement must encourage third countries to do more, also by addressing China’s dominance 
in this field. Africa hosts 60% of the best global solar potential but less than 2% of investment 
and over 600 million people lack access to electricity16￼). Investment in manufacturing and 
deployment is still hampered by real and perceived risk, a lack of supporting infrastructure and 
underdeveloped capital markets. 

In addition to the EU Clean Industrial Deal that aims at turning decarbonisation into a driver 
of growth for European industries, the EU will continue identifying, assessing and managing 
risks to its economic security as will be further elaborated in the upcoming Economic Security 
Doctrine. 

2.3. Decarbonisation and the clean transition are advancing in the EU 

Against this global backdrop, it is in the EU’s interest to continue decarbonising its economy 
and industry in order to capture a fair share of global clean technology markets and ensure our 
clean tech businesses are competitive at global level. For European business and investors to 
benefit they need predictability and certainty. The Clean Industrial Deal – the EU’s plan for 
competitiveness and decarbonisation – is the basis to do this. With this plan we are tackling the 
main  hurdles  slowing  down  our  businesses  and  strengthening  the  business  case  in  today’s 
challenging geopolitical context. We are improving access to affordable energy, materials and 
resources, increasing public and private investments, developing lead markets, improving skills 
and creating quality jobs. The EU is moving away from an expensive and volatile fossil-fuelled 
economy. 

We are already delivering results that strengthen both our economy and our climate ambition. 
The EU is on track to meet its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target - at least 55% 
net domestic reduction compared to 1990 - and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, in line 
with the EU Climate Law and the European Green Deal. As Europe enters the fourth winter 
of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the REPowerEU plan and roadmap to phase 
out Europe’s dependencies on Russian energy has accelerated the EU’s clean energy transition, 
which has been further facilitated by hard-hitting EU sanctions on Russia’s energy sector. As 
a result, the EU has taken action to diversify suppliers, deepen trade relations, boost renewable 
energy  and  energy  efficiency  and  make  energy  savings.  Looking  ahead,  the  proposed 
amendment to the Climate Law with a 2040 emissions target will provide further predictability 
and stability, driving investments in the EU’s clean transition. 

In 2024, renewables generated 47% of EU electricity and final energy consumption decreased 
by  5.7%  from  2021  to  2023  (17).  Between  2021  and  2023,  EU  electricity  consumers  saved 
EUR 100 billion thanks to electricity generated by new solar photovoltaics and wind capacity 
( 18 ).  The  EU’s  nuclear  fleet  is  now  performing  at  a  high-capacity  factor  of  over  80%, 
contributing  to  baseload  supply  and  decarbonisation  goals,  all  while  being  an  important 
component for industrial competitiveness and security of supply in certain Member States ( 
While EU  energy prices driven by imported fossil fuels  remain  high  compared to the price 
levels  before  Russia’s  weaponisation  of  energy  exports  in  2021,  slowly  but  surely,  we  are 

(16)  IEA World Energy Investment 2025 & IEA Africa Energy Outlook 2022 

(17)  Eurostat (dataset nrg_ind_eff) 

(18)  IEA Renewable Energy Market Update – June 2023  

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pushing them down for  consumers and industry  by shifting to  renewable and clean  energy, 
while  also  exploring  other  clean  energy  sources,  an  effort  we  are  continuing  with  the 
Affordable Energy Action Plan. 

The  EU  has  shown  that  our  decarbonisation  model  is  also  a  growth  model.  The  EU 
Emissions Trading System (ETS), has created strong financial incentives for the transition, 
helping to cut power and industrial GHG emissions by nearly 50% between its launch in 2005 
and 2023, while the EU economy has continued to grow. Going forward, the Carbon Border 
Adjustment  Mechanism  (CBAM)  will  prevent  carbon  leakage.  Investments  in  clean  energy 
grew to EUR 335 billion in 2025, creating 1.8 million new jobs (19). EU industry is stepping 
up its manufacturing capacity for clean technologies and related investment. The EU is at 
present  a  net  exporter  of  net-zero  technologies  such  as  hydropower,  solar  thermal  and  grid 
technologies. In 2024 the EU exported almost EUR 300 million of hydropower technologies. 
In the same year, the EU also exported over EUR 6.5 billion in grid components (20). In parallel, 
the EU has launched 60 strategic projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act, 13 of which 
are outside the EU, bolstering the EU’s extraction, processing and recycling capacity for critical 
raw materials essential for our clean and digital transitions, in line with the upcoming Circular 
Economy Act. The Commission will also come with a Bioeconomy Strategy. 

Digitalisation is key to accelerating Europe’s clean industrial and economic transformation. 
Digital  tools  including  AI,  digital  twin  and  blockchain,  can  strengthen  energy  and  resource 
efficiency,  manage grid optimisation,  reduce waste, and improve  circularity. By embedding 
these digital innovations into global partnerships, the EU can accelerate the clean transition 
transparency,  and  environmental  accountability 
while  strengthening  competitiveness, 
worldwide. 

The new Clean Industrial Deal is taking off. Measures such as the increase in InvestEU risk-
bearing capacity, the new Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework and the proposal for a 
European Competitiveness Fund are strengthening and better aligning the use of both EU and 
national  resources  to  leverage  and  de-risk  private  financing.  Together  with  the  Net-Zero 
Industry Act, these measures will support the clean transition, strengthen manufacturing and 
deployment of net-zero technologies in the EU, create lead markets for clean products and 
diversify our supply chains. 

The EU will shortly come forward with an Industrial Accelerator Act to create lead markets 
for  clean  tech  products,  low-carbon  labels  for  energy  intensive  products,  and  a  Battery 
Booster Package to support the EU battery ecosystem, as part of the Automotive Action Plan. 

As Europe advances its clean transition and works to boost industrial competitiveness, it must 
also build a credible security posture for the future, strengthening the EU role in driving robust 
climate adaptation policies in Europe and internationally. Whether it is in the melting Arctic 
where sea lanes are opening up, the scorching heat of the Sahel where rogue powers exploit 
fragile societies and sow conflict for their own gain, or whether we face extreme weather events 
that wreak havoc on our society and military infrastructure, it is essential to better integrate the 
climate,  peace  and  security  nexus  in  the  EU’s  external  policy,  including  in  the  Common 
Security  and  Defence  Policy  (CSDP)  and  in  international  cooperation  and  partnerships. 
Climate change and the  availability of new preparedness  and  energy technologies  will alter 
how  our  society  and  militaries  operate  and  how  they  strengthen  the  resilience  of  their 

(19)  IEA World Energy Investment 2025 & IRENA Renewable energy and jobs: Annual review 2025 

(20)  Eurostat (COMEXT DS-059341, 2024)   

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infrastructure. The remarkable succession of innovation cycles in Ukraine towards a cutting-
edge military adaptation and increased resilience is a case in point. Access to on-spot energy 
for  reasons  of  security  and  economy  is  essential.  Finally,  also  with  a  view  to  the  growing 
importance of dual-use technology, it is imperative that the EU manages the interplay between 
its security imperatives and its clean transition goals and uses opportunities in this regard where 
possible. 

In conclusion, the EU is decarbonising its domestic economy, pursuing a just transition, and 
supporting the global transition by investing in research and by exporting clean technologies. 
This fully echoes the domestic and external dimensions of the European Green Deal and the 
Clean  Industrial  Deal  of  reaching  climate  neutrality  by  mid-century  while  modernising  our 
economies. This is closely linked with our ability to work with partners around the world to 
support them in their clean transition efforts. 

3.  STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT WITH GLOBAL PARTNERS 

As set out in the Clean Industrial Deal, the EU is adopting a strategic approach to mutually 
beneficial  energy  and  climate  cooperation  focusing  on  diplomacy,  technical  and  regulatory 
cooperation and economics, joining up efforts with Member States at country level. We will 
seek to deepen our bilateral partnerships and build on multilateral and plurilateral alliances to 
drive a just, circular and resilient global transition. 

3.1. Forging mutually beneficial economic partnerships for a prosperous future 

Fostering clean economic partnerships is at the heart of the external dimension of the Clean 
Industrial Deal. Building on trade agreements or sustainable investment facilitation agreements 
tailor-made  memoranda  of 
(SIFAs),  Clean  Trade  and  Investment  Partnerships,  or 
understanding, notably on sustainable value chains or business-to-business cooperation, these 
partnerships intend to support mutually beneficial solutions, leverage cooperation and integrate 
supply chains with the view to further support transition at a global scale. 

As already implemented as part of EU trade agreements, the EU will galvanise existing and 
forthcoming clean economic partnerships to incentivise our partners in developing credible and 
actionable  pathways  to  achieve  the  goals  of  the  Paris  Agreement,  including  through  their 
NDCs. 

The EU will promote investment projects in partnership with European and partner country 
businesses and financial institutions. Taking a Team Europe approach, the EU will leverage its 
diplomatic  network,  existing  enabling  structures,  matchmaking  platforms  and  tools,  and 
organise  Clean  Transition  Business  Fora  and  high-level  business  and  trade  promotion 
missions. The aim is to promote the use and deployment of EU clean technologies and ensure 
that EU-financed investments and projects in partner countries are aligned with EU interests. 
The EU will also explore the potential for providing export credit support for EU clean tech. 
Most notably, the EU will support the financing and execution of large flagship projects in 
partner countries through the Global Gateway Strategy such as renewable power plants, clean 
tech manufacturing facilities and research and development, bringing together EU and local 
business, financial institutions and academia, and education and training providers. To guide 
and  scale  up  these  projects,  an  EU  External  Clean  Transition  Business  Council  will  be 
established to advise the Commission on clean tech investment priorities in partner countries 
based on operational needs. An EU Special Coordinator for the Global Clean Transition 
will  coordinate  this  action,  engaging  with  businesses  and  supporting  the  Team  Europe 
approach. 

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Trade agreements are an important driver for sustainable growth both in the EU and in partner 
countries, especially with respect to commitments to implement the United Nations Framework 
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. The EU already has the 
largest network of free trade agreements (FTAs) in the world, covering 76 countries and 44% 
of all EU trade in goods, and is continuing negotiations with several partners (21). EU FTAs 
include  chapters  on  energy,  raw  materials,  regulatory  cooperation,  trade  and  sustainable 
development. They contribute to facilitating trade and investments in clean energy value chains 
and  ensure  undistorted  access  to  critical  raw  materials  while  supporting  clean  and  more 
efficient  production methods and market  access  opportunities for green goods and services. 
Digitalisation will be a key enabler of this clean trade, supporting data-driven policy design, 
cross-border interoperability, and digital product passports to monitor resource and emissions 
performance.  In  parallel,  we  have  launched  negotiations  towards  new  clean  trade  and 
investment partnerships to provide faster, more flexible and bespoke support tailored to meet 
the needs of the EU and its partners. The first such partnership is under negotiation with South 
Africa.  

Over  the  last  four  years,  the  EU  signed  over  40  bilateral  clean  transition  partnerships 
worldwide, complementing similar initiatives by our Member States. We will implement these 
partnerships in closer coordination between the EU and the Member States. The EU will also 
continue to promote the global coal phase-out as well as low-emission and climate resilient 
development through initiatives such as the Just Energy Transition Partnerships. The EU 
Energy and Raw Materials Platform will also be a key tool to link policy and business  – 
supporting cooperation on raw materials, hydrogen, batteries and other clean energy sectors. 

3.2. Strengthening multilateralism and alliances to meet our global commitments 

The EU will strive to maintain the political momentum for the global clean transition at every 
level. A key aspect of this is our unwavering commitment to multilateralism and a rules-
based  international  order  and  support  for  strengthened  institutional  structures  better  able  to 
respond  to  new  realities.  The  obligations  of  states  to  cooperate  and  take  collective  and 
ambitious climate environmental measures was recently reaffirmed through the International 
Court of Justice advisory opinion. 

The Paris Agreement is now fully operational, and multilateral climate action has made a clear 
difference.  And  yet  gaps  remain  between  collective  ambition  and  concrete  implementation. 
The EU will continue to work within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (UNFCCC) with allies and partners and through plurilateral and bilateral fora and 
initiatives to implement the outcomes of the first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement 
and to set and implement ambitious climate action plans. The EU will also support action to 
increase the efficiency of the multilateral climate process towards delivering progress on global 
climate goals. 

The EU will pursue these goals in the G7 and G20 and keep advocating for an orderly and just 
transition away from fossil fuels, with the support of the International Energy Agency (IEA) 
and  the  International  Renewable  Energy  Agency  (IRENA).  Through  the  Global  Energy 
Transitions Forum, the EU will continue bringing together political and business leaders to 
accelerate  the  work  with  partner  countries  to  triple  global  renewable  energy  capacity  and 

(21)  The  EU  has  recently  concluded  negotiations  on  new  FTAs  with  Mercosur,  Mexico  and  Indonesia.  Other 
negotiations are ongoing for FTAs with Australia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and the United 
Arab Emirates. 

8 

 
 
double  energy  efficiency  improvements  by  2030.  Further  outreach  includes  working  with 
partners on trade-related climate measures in the WTO, engaging in the Coalition of Trade 
Ministers for Climate and actively participating in the plurilateral initiative on Fossil  Fuel 
Subsidy Reform and in the OECD ‘Coalition of the Willing’ transparency exercise. 

The  EU  will  work  to  accelerate  the  deployment  of  zero-  and  low-emission  technologies  in 
industries and in sectors with hard-to-abate emissions, including within the G7, the Climate 
Club,  the  OECD’s  Inclusive  Forum  on  Climate  Mitigation  Approaches,  and  under  the 
Clean  Energy  Ministerial  and  Mission  Innovation.  The  EU  will  push  processes  to 
decarbonise international transport under the International Civil Aviation Organization and 
the  International  Maritime  Organization,  including  through  supporting  its  Net-Zero 
Framework, and will actively promote a global push for renewable and low-carbon fuels in 
maritime  and aviation  transport. We will also  continue action to  tackle non-CO2 emissions, 
including  by  co-leading  the  Global  Methane  Pledge  and  implementing  the  Montreal 
Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer. At the same time, the EU will continue 
working to advance other multilateral agreements to address biodiversity loss, desertification 
and  pollution  in  an  integrated  way,  and  to  support  action  on  cross-cutting  issues  with 
multilateral  environmental  protection  initiatives  such  as  water  and  forests  and  promoting 
ecosystem services and nature-based solutions.  

Advancing the clean transition, adaptation, and building resilience in partner countries helps to 
reduce the costs of insecurity. This is a key part of the EU’s approach. The EU is committed to 
strengthen action addressing the nexus between climate change, environmental degradation, 
and security and resilience by engaging at multilateral (UN and NATO) and bilateral levels 
(through  security  and  defence  partnerships  and  security  and  defence  dialogues)  and  will 
implement  the actions set  out  in the 2023  Joint Communication on the Climate-Security 
Nexus. The EU will also work with partners to address the security and environmental risks 
posed by substandard ships and risky navigation practices. 

The  EU  will  continue  working  with  global  and  regional  alliances  to  pursue  climate  and 
industrial goals. We will continue to support government-to-government and multi-stakeholder 
alliances  that  seek  to  advance  long-term  energy  transition  aims,  such  as  the  International 
Solar Alliance, the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance and 
the Powering Past Coal Alliance. 

3.3. Policy and regulatory cooperation 

Regulatory and policy cooperation is essential to support partner countries in the design and 
implementation of effective climate, energy and industrial policies. The EU takes a systemic 
approach  to  cooperation  with  partner  countries,  covering  industrial  transformation,  energy 
transitions,  emission  and  pollution  reduction,  adaptation  and  resilience,  and  nuclear  safety, 
complemented by research and innovation, digitalisation and sustainable finance.  

To  promote  this  approach  the  EU  drives  policy,  regulatory  and  knowledge  exchanges  and 
provides technical assistance in bilateral high-level energy and climate dialogues, as well as 
mobilises EU public sector expertise to support reform processes around the world. We will 
keep  working  together  with  other  partners  to  ensure  coordinated  regulatory  frameworks, 
including through Green Alliances (with Japan, Canada, Norway) and Green Partnerships 
(with the Republic of Korea, Morocco) with their joint action plans, as well as through other 
sectoral initiatives. We will also keep engaging with subnational authorities under the Global 
Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy to implement concrete projects and exchange 
best practices. 

9 

 
Carbon pricing is a central element of the EU’s climate policy toolkit. It is one of the most 
cost-effective ways to reduce emissions, promote innovation and generate revenue to fund the 
transition. The recent adoption and expansion of carbon pricing policies by major economies 
such as China, Japan and Brazil confirm that this policy is central to achieve global climate 
goals22. Considering the considerable upside of countries around the world introducing carbon 
pricing,  the  European  Commission’s  task  force  on  carbon  pricing  supports  others  in 
developing  robust  policies  and  ensuring  high  environmental  integrity  approaches  to 
international carbon markets. The EU will continue supporting knowledge sharing in this field 
via MoUs on emissions trading systems and steering the Florence Process for key jurisdictions 
with emissions trading programmes. In addition,  CBAM provides a transparent, rules-based 
carbon price signal for imports to the EU market: avoiding carbon leakage, and thereby also 
incentivising decarbonisation outside Europe. 

The  EU  will  also  continue  to  engage  proactively  with  partner  countries  to  ensure  better 
coherence  between  internal  and  external  EU  policies.  We  will  take  a  granular  approach  to 
assessing  the  potential  cross-border  impacts  of  new  EU  legislation.  We  will  build  on  the 
successes of Global Gateway. Jointly setting up mutually beneficial partnerships, we will listen 
to the needs of these countries, including in the area of decarbonisation (see 3.5 below). While 
CBAM  gradually  enters  into application, we  intend to  maximise the  contribution  of  Global 
Europe  to  developing  countries'  decarbonisation  and  adaptation  needs,  in  line  with  the 
instrument’s 30% climate and environment spending target. This would help alleviate concerns 
raised  on  EU  legislation  as  well  as  strengthen  partnerships  and  support  broader  regulatory 
reforms. To this end, we will also mobilise EU Member States’ expertise as well as targeted 
use of Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) for the clean transition. 

International  cooperation  on  standardisation 
in  sustainable  and  resource-efficient 
technologies  also  forms  a  crucial  part  of  the  work  to  promote  a  thriving  global  clean  tech 
market, while also unlocking investment and lowering costs. To that end, the EU will continue 
actively  engaging  in  relevant  international  standards organisations. This  will support the 
expansion of lead markets for clean products and technologies across the world, creating export 
and  investment  opportunities  for  EU  companies  and  improving  opportunities  for  partner 
countries to access EU markets. 

3.4. Combat information manipulation attempts  

As  the  European  Union  bolsters  its  competitiveness  and  security  with  the  clean  transition, 
hostile actors intentionally manipulate and interfere with the global information space, both in 
science and politics.  

Such  actors  seek  to  falsely  portray  renewable  energy  as  a  failure  and  the  EU's  energy  and 
climate policies and sanctions on Russian energy as short-sighted, damaging, and ineffective. 
The key to tackling this disinformation and misinformation is of course ensuring strong climate 
and energy research, and public dissemination of data and knowledge:  as one of the largest 
global funders of climate and energy research, the EU is uniquely placed to continue doing 
this.  

The EU monitors and analyses these climate-related foreign information manipulation and 
interference (FIMI) incidents, raises public awareness around the issue, promotes fact-based 

22   Carbon pricing now covers around 28% of global GHG emissions, with 43 carbon taxes and 37 ETSs in place; 

cf World Bank State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2025 report 

10 

 
 
information  and  supports  independent  media  and  fact-checking  initiatives.  The  EU  will 
continue to address any disinformation and climate-related FIMI that tries to slow down 
the  global  energy  transition  and  climate  action.  The  EU  will  double  down  on  such  FIMI 
operations by exposing and disrupting them, equipping EU diplomats with skills and know-
how needed to refute climate-related FIMI worldwide and promoting fact-based information. 

The EU is also strengthening international cooperation on climate and energy-related dis- 
and  misinformation,  funding  the  development  of  tools  to  counter  these  practises,  in 
cooperation  with  partners  and  through  fora  such  as  the  Information  Integrity  on  Climate 
Change initiative. 

3.5. Scaling up finance to deliver clean growth and development 

The pace of the clean energy and industrial transitions depend on our collective global ability 
to  mobilise and scale up public and private finance. Throughout,  we  will work to  make  all 
finance  flows  consistent  with  a  pathway  to  low  emissions  and  climate-resilient 
development. To support developing countries in this, the New Collective Quantified Goal 
(NCQG) on climate finance was set at USD 300 billion annually by 2035, with developed 
countries taking the lead, and a broader call for all actors to scale up USD 1.3 trillion per year 
by  2035.  As  the  world’s  largest  contributor  of  climate  finance  and  building  on  our  own 
sustainable finance framework, the EU will contribute to the implementation of the NCQG by 
using Global Gateway, the future Global Europe instrument, and by supporting the reform of 
global financial institutions and leveraging other sources of finance. 

Global  Gateway  is  the  EU’s  key  vehicle  to  support  the  clean  and  resilient  transition  in 
emerging  and  developing  economies.  Under  the  Team  Europe  approach,  it  combines 
resources from the EU and its Member States, development agencies, banks and businesses to 
mobilise EUR 300 billion of leveraged investment until 2027, with half of the flagship projects 
targeting  climate  and  energy.  Global  Gateway  –  working  together  with  our  implementing 
partners such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group – offers innovative instruments 
including guarantees, risk-sharing and blended finance to reduce the cost of capital and unlock 
private  sector  investment,  complemented  by  technical  assistance  and  work  on  enabling 
investment  environments. To this end, the  Global  Gateway Investment  Hub will enhance 
coordination, information exchange and cooperation between the EU and its Member States. 

Looking  ahead,  the  European  Commission  has  proposed  the  Global  Europe  instrument,  a 
transformative external action financing tool. With a proposed budget of EUR 200 billion for 
2028-2034  and  a  climate  and  environment  spending  target  of  30%,  it  will  support  partner 
countries in adopting credible climate action pathways and stimulate demand in clean industrial 
sectors. EU financial support will go hand in hand with boosting diversification of clean tech 
supply chains, reducing existing dependencies and strengthening economic security, and will 
be implemented in  a conflict-sensitive manner.  Furthermore,  Global  Europe will  strengthen 
EU private sector engagement, supporting EU businesses abroad and creating demand for EU 
clean products in partner country markets. Targeted EU support will be provided to the most 
climate-vulnerable countries, particularly the least developed countries (LDCs) and small 
island developing states (SIDS), including by supporting the set-up of business models for 
climate adaptation with international financial institutions (IFIs) and under the Team Europe 
Initiative  on  Adaptation  and  Resilience  in  Africa.  The  EU  will  also  continue  to  support 
climate  resilience  including  in  fragile  and  conflict-affected  settings  by  drawing  on  its 
development, peacebuilding, and humanitarian instruments. 

11 

 
The EU will work to support the  reform of international global financial institutions, so 
they are fit to enhance support to the global clean and resilient transition. To that end, we will 
strengthen coherence and cooperation among EU actors in the multilateral development banks 
(MDBs),  ensuring  that  we  leverage  the  full  weight  of  our  combined  financial  strength  for 
policies and financing that support the clean transition and our interests.  In this context, the 
EIB  Group  will  continue  supporting  EU  companies  and  technologies  globally,  backing  EU 
clean tech champions, through guarantee, debt and equity instruments, and initiatives such as 
the trade and investment booster. 

We will also leverage other sources of finance and tackle the financial barriers that countries 
face in transitioning, including unsustainable debt burdens and insufficient domestic resource 
mobilisation. To this end, the Global Green Bond Initiative will help partner countries access 
private  finance  at  scale.  In  the  G7  and  G20,  the  EU  will  continue  to  advocate  for  greater 
international  finance  coordination  on  standards,  climate  finance  mobilisation,  and 
sustainability-related  risks.  In  addition,  the  EU  will  continue  to  promote  effective  national 
policies  to  mobilise  private  capital  such  as  transparency  and  disclosure  regimes,  to  steer 
investments  to  the  clean  and  resilient  transition.  The  Enhanced  Coordination  between 
Export  Credit  Agencies  and  Development  Finance  Institutions  initiative  will  better 
integrate  financing  for EU exports. We will continue to  promote alternative and  innovative 
sources  such  as  thematic  use-of-proceed  bonds,  guarantees,  and  solidarity  levies,  including 
from the fossil fuel sector.  

3.6. Tailor-made outreach with key partners 

To tackle the unique needs and challenges faced by different countries and regions, the EU and 
its Member States in a Team Europe approach will develop tailored initiatives with partners. 
In doing so, we will pay close attention to the interests of European companies. 

With G20 members accounting for 80% of global GHG emissions, joint and ambitious action 
with the largest economies is critical to reverse temperature increase over the next decade. Of 
these, China stands out as responsible for 29% of global emissions. At the same time it has 
emerged as a leader in renewable energy, critical minerals and clean tech. The EU will deepen 
cooperation with  China on carbon pricing,  on the energy transition,  methane emissions and 
adaptation.  At  the  same  time,  we  must  work  to  secure  reliable  supply  chains  and  fair 
competition  in  these sectors. This  involves  asserting  the EU’s right to  counter international 
trade distortions resulting from state-sponsored overcapacity through the use of trade defence 
instruments. The United States is today a major EU energy trading partner and a key ally in 
accelerating the EU phase-out of Russian fossil fuels. However, it is also the second largest 
global greenhouse gas emitter and recently left the Paris Agreement. The EU will continue to 
cooperate with the US in the clean energy transition and on clean technologies, including with 
subnational entities, business and think tanks. The EU and India, the third largest global emitter 
and world’s most populous nation, agreed to expand government-to-government and industry 
cooperation on clean energy, on climate adaptation and on resilience in February 2025. The 
Trade and Technology Council is also an opportunity to develop clean supply chains and to 
support decarbonisation in the EU and India. In this spirit, the EU recently presented the Joint 
Communication on a New Strategic EU-India Agenda, which includes cooperation on climate 
and energy policies. 

The EU will step up its  engagement with  candidate and potential candidate countries  to 
increase energy security and climate resilience, modernise their economies, enhance regulatory 
alignment and increase administrative capacity to this end while preparing for EU accession. 
For Ukraine and Moldova, suffering the direct consequences of Russia’s brutal war, the EU 

12 

 
will also maintain short-term support towards energy supplies and long-term support towards 
a well-protected flexible energy system  building heavily on renewable power.  We will also 
continue  to  work  with  the  Energy  Community  to  accelerate  the  regulatory  alignment  of 
candidate countries with the EU’s energy and climate acquis. 

The EU will work with our Western European partners to support integrated clean tech value 
chains under the current set of frameworks. These include the European Economic Area, the 
EU-Switzerland ETS linking agreement, and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, 
including the new negotiations on an ETS linking agreement.  

Given the shared climate and security challenges and enormous potential for renewable energy 
and clean tech cooperation, the EU and Mediterranean neighbours are natural partners in these 
areas. As set out in the Pact for the Mediterranean, we will work to improve stability, economic 
resilience and to deepen our integration. Under the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy 
and Clean  Tech Cooperation Initiative  (T-MED)  we will advance decarbonisation,  promote 
competitiveness  across  the  region  and  step  up  cooperation  on  climate  risk  management  by 
investing in flagship projects of mutual interest that boost economic growth and job creation 
and address fossil fuel export dependency. Across our neighbourhood, we will continue to work 
on the secure and stable supply of energy. We will seek to advance large-scale energy projects 
and investment in infrastructure that delivers value for both Europe and partner countries and 
that supports our collective clean energy transitions, such as GREGY, ELMED, the Great Sea 
Interconnector,  and  options  to  deploy  new  submarine  cables  in  the  Black  Sea  will  be 
considered. This will be accompanied by stepping up the EU’s climate security work in the 
European neighbourhood to prevent fragility which can endanger our partnerships. 

The EU will also step up its engagement with other fast-developing regions, including South-
East Asia and the Pacific Islands, Africa, and countries in Latin America, the Caribbean 
and Central Asia to promote the uptake of clean technologies, develop carbon pricing policies 
and tackle climate-related impacts. It will hold regular inter-regional meetings, including this 
year’s EU-Central Asia summit, the EU-ASEAN Environment and Climate Ministerial, EU-
African Union summits and EU-CELAC summits to spark mutual opportunities for the clean 
transition. Many of these countries are also committed allies in the fight against climate change 
multilaterally and domestically. 

4.  KEY ACTIONS AND CONCLUSION 

The EU’s strategic approach to global energy and climate engagement - 10 key actions 

1.  Maintain  political  momentum  through  multilateral,  plurilateral  and  bilateral  fora  and 
initiatives  to  implement  the  Paris  Agreement  with  all  countries  and  stakeholders: 
governments,  companies,  investors  and  citizens.  Drive  global  delivery  of  commitments 
outlined in the Global Stocktake, in particularly the tripling of renewable deployments and 
doubling energy efficiency by 2030 as well as transitioning away from fossil fuels. 

2.  Support EU clean tech businesses in boosting international opportunities by organising 
business  fora,  setting  up  an  EU  external  Clean  Transition  Business  Council  and 
organising  high-level  clean business and trade promotion missions  and by leveraging 
already  existing  structures.  Strengthen  business  promotion  expertise  in  selected  EU 
Delegations.  

13 

 
3.  Connect European businesses with investment projects abroad via the Global Gateway 
Investment Hub. Develop de-risking financial tools in cooperation with Team Europe 
partners including the EIB to support EU clean transition business investments in partner 
countries. 

4.  Leverage Global Europe as proposed to support EU business abroad and demand for EU 
clean products, inherently incentivising partner countries to adopt credible climate action 
pathways aligned with the Paris Agreement. 

5.  Expand networks of mutually beneficial partnerships for global resilient clean value 
chains, including through negotiating ongoing and new free trade agreements, new clean 
trade  and  investment  partnerships  and  other  trade  and  partnership  instruments.  Foster 
cooperation with international standard organisations and develop globally accepted low-
carbon standards and low-carbon labels. 

6.  Pilot triangular cooperation between companies from the EU and advanced non-EU 
partners on clean transition investment projects in our neighbourhood, emerging and 
developing countries. 

7.  Enhance  policy  and  regulatory  cooperation  on  all  aspects  of  the  clean  and  resilient 
transition with regulators, involving as appropriate civil society, academia and business. 
Mobilise EU Member States’ expertise to support partner countries in regulatory reforms 
and with EU legislation, as well as through targeted use of TAIEX for the clean transition. 
8.  Reform global financial institutions for the clean and resilient transition and develop 
new innovative sources of international climate finance, including finance from the fossil 
fuel  industry,  and  linking  with  the  EU  sustainable  finance  framework.  Work  with  EU 
Member States to leverage financing of multilateral development banks. 

9.  Enable investment in adaptation and resilience projects at scale and support the set-up 
of  business  models  for  climate  adaptation,  particularly  in  least  developed  countries  and 
small island developing states.  

10. Step  up  the  EU’s  climate  security  work  in  its  international  engagements,  such  as 
proposing  regular  exchanges  under  Security  and  Defence  Partnerships  on  the  impact  of 
climate  change  on  fragility  and  conflict  risks  as  well  as  combatting  FIMI  and 
disinformation on climate change and the energy transition.  

With this Joint Communication, the European Commission and the High Representative set 
out a vision to shape a global clean and resilient transition, where climate, energy, and industrial 
solutions go hand in hand.  

Across the globe, the clean industrial revolution is underway. The EU is actively contributing 
to this transformation and will continue to benefit from it. To reap these benefits, the EU must 
be the industrial powerhouse supplying and providing clean tech and adaptation solutions to 
countries around the world. This requires continuing and expanding our close cooperation with 
partners. We stand ready to leverage our expertise and resources to achieve the transition to a 
clean and resilient global economy. 

Economic partnerships are not  just complementary to  climate and energy diplomacy  – they 
form the very backbone of this work. The clean transition must be fair, resilient to impacts, 
investable  and  global.  Through  open  markets,  trusted  supply  chains  and  shared  industrial 
growth,  the  EU  is  ready  to  work  with  partners  to  build  a  more  prosperous,  sustainable  and 
resilient future for all. The reinforcement of trusted partners in our networks and supply chains, 
and  EU’s  trade  defence  tools  are  key  for  strengthening  resilience.  By  making  innovation  a 

14 

 
visible  driver  of  its  global  vision,  the  EU  can  ensure  that  today’s  science  and  technology 
breakthroughs become tomorrow’s markets and partnerships. 

The European Commission and the High Representative will regularly report on the progress 
made to implement this Communication. They will hold a regular dialogue with the Member 
States and stakeholders on the global role of the EU and its Member States in driving forward 
the climate and energy transitions worldwide and achieving our shared goals. 

15