US Opposes Anti-Fossil Fuel Policies at Global Energy Summit

International tensions over energy policy surfaced forcefully at the International Energy Agency (IEA) summit in London, where the United States took a stand against global efforts to phase out fossil fuels. The two-day summit, co-hosted by the United Kingdom, uncovered deep differences in reconciling renewable energy growth with the conservation of current energy sources in the midst of world economic uncertainty due to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and trade uncertainty within the United States.

At the summit, Washington delegates condemned policies for phasing out fossil fuels as threats to global energy security. This contradicted the IEA stance, which acknowledged the ongoing use of oil and gas but promoted a smooth transition to renewables. The IEA's 2023 forecast had indicated that fossil fuel demand would peak before 2030, but it insisted that countries should be allowed to pursue differentiated approaches in order to achieve energy security.

UK officials reiterated the need for "low carbon energy" as a central element in providing secure energy supplies and not having energy resources mobilized as weapons of geopolitical conflicts. Participating EU nations underscored during the summit the necessity to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas imports, with reference to the volatility of the energy cost since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The European Union, in turn, will present a comprehensive roadmap to wean itself off Russian fossil fuel imports and bolster energy sovereignty.

Heavyweights like China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia avoided the summit. The US was also represented by deputy secretaries of state acting on its behalf, which signified a reduced status. OPEC welcomed the focus of the summit on energy security but attacked as unrealistic net zero policies that have no regard for feasibility and the cost. OPEC has pushed for a paradigm in which renewable energy supplements rather than replaces fossil fuel to make an equitable and guaranteed supply of energy.

In Europe, shifting to nuclear power and renewables has been seen as needed to eliminate the risk of energy blackmail and price shock related to political tensions. US energy policies, however, have been dominated by the development of traditional oil and gas production with comparatively less emphasis on increasing renewable projects under the Trump administration's hold.

Despite concerns of divergent agendas, the IEA and its management appeared to moderate their public stance on renewables, wishing to avoid confrontation with OPEC and potential tension with the future US administration. European officials maintained that the IEA still promotes the energy transition while ensuring energy sovereignty, asserting that no substantial deviation from its original mandate has occurred.

The summit highlighted the growing complexity of global energy politics, where a balance between transition to renewable energy and short-term needs for energy security, economic stability, and global diplomacy must be struck. The findings project a future where renewable energy becomes more dominant but fossil fuels continue to be a component of the world's energy mix for many decades to come.

Source/Credits:
AFP | Written by Nathalie Alonso, Pol-Malo Le Bris