EU-US energy pact: A setback for European decarbonization?

The €700 billion trade agreement between the European Union and the United States has sparked significant environmental controversy.

While the European Commission presents it as a victory for economic stability, the European Environment Bureau (EEB), the largest network of environmental NGOs on the continent, has warned that this pact could "derail" Europe's decarbonization efforts.

The EEB's main concern centers on the agreement's commitment to purchase large volumes of fossil fuels and nuclear energy from the United States over the next three years.

According to Luke Haywood, Director of Climate and Energy at the EEB, this pact is "fundamentally incompatible" with the EU's 2030 goals, and warns that "tripling US energy imports in just three years is not only physically implausible, but would also undermine the EU's medium-term decarbonization goals."

The EEB questions the agreement's justification, arguing that these imports will replace Russian energy. According to the organization, this reasoning is not credible, given that the United States already dominates 50% of the EU liquefied natural gas (LNG) market.

Moreover, the value of the agreement, €700 billion, is significantly higher than what would be imported from the US even in the most radical energy substitution scenarios.

The organization urges the European Parliament and Member States to review and, if necessary, reject those elements of the pact that could undermine Europe's climate goals, its energy sovereignty, and its international credibility. Instead, the EEB argues that the EU should focus its efforts on investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electrification.