Advancing the EU's Climate and Energy Diplomacy

As of July, Spain holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Spanish Presidency has identified four priorities to focus on during its term. In our policy brief, we highlight specific areas of action within these priorities for the Spanish Presidency to make progress on climate and energy diplomacy.

Priority 1. Reindustrialise the EU and ensure its open strategic autonomy

• Ensure competitiveness and cooperation through diverse partnerships
• Strengthen partnership with Latin America with focus on climate, energy and biodiversity
• Align partnerships on raw materials with environmental agreements and ensure human rights

Priority 2. Advance the green transition and environmental adaptation

• Lead efforts to agree on a just global phase-out of fossil fuels at COP28
• Build a coalition to agree on global targets on renewables and energy efficiency at COP28, ideally not only as pledges
• Support an ambitious new NDC for the EU based on scientific recommendations, and an updated NDC at COP28

Priority 3. Promoting greater social and economic justice

• Showcase how a global just transition can be successfully implemented
• Support a feminist climate foreign policy on EU level

Priority 4. Strengthening European unity

• Foster prosperity and security through ambitious climate action within and outside of the EU to ensure European unity