Global energy treaty shaken by Europe

IN THE build-up to June’s European Parliament elections, there are growing concerns that the 27-member bloc may retrench from its climate ambition in the face of a political backlash against the EU’s Green New Deal.

However, last Thursday (Mar 7) saw the latest evidence that the European Union intends to try to meet its net-zero ambitions as it crafted a coordinated exit from the controversial Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) whose other signatories include Asia-Pacific powers, such as Japan.

This European move has been made despite the priority the bloc has needed to put on energy security as it transitions away from Russian fuels in its energy mix since the Ukraine war began in February 2022.