IEA calls for International Cooperation

IEA calls for international cooperation to combat climate change and warns against geopolitical fragmentation. Find out what's at stake at COP28 in Dubai.

Share:

Coopération Internationale

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

The International Energy Agency (IEA) calls for cooperation to “set aside geopolitical tensions” within the international community. It has taken this initiative in order to make progress in the fight against climate change, deeming greater “cooperation” essential if the Paris Agreement is to be met.

Geopolitical fragmentation, a major obstacle

“The 1.5°C warming target set in Paris in 2015 is “still within reach”, but faces “many challenges”. IEA Director Fatih Birol issued a warning at an international climate and energy meeting in Madrid aimed at creating a “coalition of countries” two months ahead of COP28. Among these challenges, “the one that seems to me the most important” is “the geopolitical fragmentation of the world”. This is “a major obstacle” to achieving this objective. According to the head of the IEA, investments “in technology and clean energy” are currently experiencing “very strong growth”. But “the lack of international cooperation is a serious problem. We need to find a way to put aside geopolitical tensions” between countries.

COP28 and current challenges

According to Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, discussions at COP28 will undoubtedly be “difficult”. It calls for more “multilateralism” in the face of “current challenges”.

The sources of tension within the international community have multiplied in recent months, due in particular to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the growing rivalry between the United States and China, which have led to fears that the climate issue will take a back seat. The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), to be held from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), should enable the international community to move forward on reducing greenhouse gases as an energy policy. It will also be an opportunity to take stock of countries’ commitments to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming below 2°C and if possible to 1.5°C compared with the pre-industrial era, a limit that seems hard to reach on current trajectories.

Conditions for a successful COP28

According to the IEA, a number of conditions must be met for the Dubai conference to be a success. These include a tripling of investment in renewables and a financing mechanism to support clean energy in developing countries. In November 2022, COP27 in Egypt reached a compromise on the principle of a special fund for vulnerable countries. However, no progress was made on the phase-out of fossil fuels, deemed urgent by the IEA in view of the current climate situation. The months of “July and August” were “perhaps the hottest in history. And it looks like 2023 will be the hottest year on record”, said Fatih Birol on Monday, at a time when climate disasters (heatwaves, floods, fires, etc.) are multiplying on every continent.

Ambassadors of European Union member states have approved the transmission of a legislative proposal to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports by January 2028 to the Council of Ministers.
The State Duma has approved Russia’s formal withdrawal from a treaty signed with the United States on the elimination of military-grade plutonium, ending over two decades of strategic nuclear cooperation.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was not in Poland’s interest to extradite to Germany a Ukrainian citizen suspected of taking part in the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022.
Al-Harfi and SCLCO signed agreements with Syrian authorities to develop solar and wind capacity, amid an ongoing energy rapprochement between Riyadh and Damascus.
Faced with risks to Middle Eastern supply chains, Thai and Japanese refiners are turning to US crude, backed by tariff incentives and strategies aligned with ongoing bilateral trade discussions.
France intercepted a tanker linked to Russian exports, prompting Emmanuel Macron to call for a coordinated European response to hinder vessels bypassing oil sanctions.
The activation of the snapback mechanism reinstates all UN sanctions on Iran, directly affecting the defence, financial and maritime trade sectors.
Commissioner Dan Jørgensen visits Greenland to expand energy ties with the European Union, amid plans to double EU funding for the 2028–2034 period.
European and Iranian foreign ministers meet in New York to try to prevent the reinstatement of UN sanctions linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announces a bilateral agreement with Mexico including targeted investments in energy corridors, logistics infrastructure and cross-border security.
The US president has called for an immediate end to Russian oil imports by NATO countries, denouncing a strategic contradiction as sanctions against Moscow are being considered.
Tehran withdrew a resolution denouncing attacks on its nuclear facilities, citing US pressure on IAEA members who feared suspension of Washington’s voluntary contributions.
Poland’s energy minister calls on European Union member states to collectively commit to halting Russian oil purchases within two years, citing increasing geopolitical risks.
Athens and Tripoli engage in a negotiation process to define their exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean, amid geopolitical tensions and underwater energy stakes.
European powers demand concrete steps from Tehran on nuclear issue or United Nations sanctions will be reinstated, as IAEA inspections remain blocked and tensions with Washington persist.
Brussels confirms its target to end all Russian energy imports by 2028, despite growing diplomatic pressure from Washington amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Donald Trump threatens to escalate US sanctions against Russia, but only if NATO member states stop all Russian oil imports, which remain active via certain pipelines.
The two countries agreed to develop infrastructure dedicated to liquefied natural gas to strengthen Europe's energy security and boost transatlantic trade.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calls for modernising the oil industry and expanding export markets as Tehran faces the possible reactivation of 2015 nuclear deal sanctions.
The Ukrainian president demanded that Slovakia end its imports of Russian crude, offering an alternative supply solution amid ongoing war and growing diplomatic tensions over the Druzhba pipeline.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.