EU Foreign Policy

It’s not just about the environment

Climate change has become much more than an environmental issue. Climate change is now recognised as possibly the biggest threat that the world faces in the 21st century.

Climate change and its impacts on energy policy are an economic reality. Its effects extend to finance policy, development strategies, disaster relief, security, and due to the very nature of the UN Climate Treaty and its Kyoto Protocol, international relations.

Energy and climate policy concerns have therefore been added as a key element of the emerging EU foreign policy agenda. In particular the security of supply, reduction of energy import bills, competitiveness, the promotion of renewable energies and energy efficiency, as well as the climate policies. Equally, EU development policy includes energy angles and increasingly aims at mainstreaming climate protection.

WWF runs a specific project on EU foreign policy in the context of climate and energy policy. It covers relations with Brazil, China, India, as well as European neighbourhood and development policies.