The European Union must aggressively stand its ground against US pressure and reject further purchases of American energy exports, according to prominent climate diplomat Laurence Tubiana. The warning comes amid heightened tensions over a proposed $750 billion trade deal between the transatlantic partners.
Tubiana, the CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a key architect of the 2015 Paris Agreement, stated the EU should not allow the Trump administration’s opposition to derail its climate neutrality goals for 2050.
Her appeal follows clear pushback from Washington on core EU green policies, notably the controversial carbon border tax, designed to enforce sustainable practices outside the bloc.
“I haven’t seen anything like this in my whole life working on climate,” Tubiana told Euronews’ Europe Today programme on Monday. “I’ve never seen such aggressiveness from the US, including the pressure on Europe.”
The French economist stressed the importance of maintaining European independence and economic security. Achieving this, she noted, hinges heavily on securing energy autonomy.
For the 27-member bloc, this necessitates avoiding new energy dependencies with any single nation. Instead, Tubiana argued for a strategy built on diversification and prioritizing reliable suppliers.
She pointed to developments in China as a positive example, citing the country’s massive and encouraging investment into renewable energy capacity.
Furthermore, the veteran diplomat maintained an optimistic outlook on global climate action, despite the US withdrawal from the recent United Nations climate summit, COP30.
She highlighted that 85 countries at the summit had demonstrated political will to phase out fossil fuels. The global shift toward clean energy is now unstoppable, she believes.
“We have seen a major transformation of the world economy,” Tubiana said, noting the rise of China’s green technology investment and the fact that 88% of global emissions are now covered by mid-century net-zero commitments.
Despite the intense geopolitical pressures and domestic rollbacks on some EU climate legislation, Tubiana remains confident the net-neutrality target can be met. She concluded that increased investment in decarbonization, especially across industry, and rapidly expanding the share of renewable energy will ensure the goal is reached.
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