EU-Trump pact fuels fossil‑fuel pledge, sparks climate alarm

EU‑US Energy Pact Sparks Climate Clash

In a surprise trade deal, the European Union pledged to import $750 billion of liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel from the United States over the next three years. The goal is to replace Russian energy supplies that have been cut off since the Ukraine war.

Practical Limits of the Proposed Expansion

• Market Dynamics – Analysts warn that European companies will choose energy based on market prices, not on a political mandate.
• Export Capacity – Bruegel think‑tank expert Simone Tagliapietra noted that the U.S. might not be able to ramp up export facilities quickly enough.
• EU’s Calculation – Brussels insists the figure comes from a detailed energy‑needs analysis, not a trick to appease President Trump.

Impact on EU LNG Imports

The bulk of the new budget would focus on liquefied natural gas.

• Last year, the EU imported about $70 billion of LNG.
• U.S. shipments currently account for roughly 50 % of EU LNG, ahead of Russia’s 20 % share.
• Brussels wants to drive Russian LNG to zero to cut the war‑financing flow.

Environmental Concerns

Environmental groups caution that a shift to U.S. LNG, much of it produced through hydraulic fracturing (fracking), could amplify climate and local‑environment damage. Fracking is banned in several European countries.

The Commission risked replacing one dangerous dependency with another, plugging in Trump’s gas while unplugging Putin’s supply, Greenpeace warned.

Political Fallout

• Francois Gemenne, co‑author of the UN’s IPCC report, criticized the EU for capitulating to Trump’s fossil‑fuel agenda.
• Trump’s “drill, baby drill” mantra and criticisms of wind turbines added to the tension.
• Aymeric Kouam of the Strategic Perspectives think‑tank called the energyp deal “dangerous and counterproductive,” noting it undermines Europe’s drive to carbon neutrality by 2050.

EU’s Response

A spokesperson for the Commission defended the pact, stating, “This agreement does not contradict our medium‑to‑long‑term decarbonisation objectives or targets.”

The EU is also debating its 2040 emissions‑reduction target—aiming for a 90 % cut from 1990 levels—with new flexibilities to gain reluctant member states’ support. The Commission has already achieved a 37 % reduction toward that goal, but the green agenda faces political resistance amid a shift to the right and growing climate scepticism.