The US and Qatar jointly pushed for the European Union to water down the bloc’s climate rules, arguing that they pose an “existential threat” to the region’s industrial competitiveness.
The open letter, signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Qatar’s minister of state for energy, called for “immediate, decisive action” to address concerns specifically tied to the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which is due to come into force in 2027 and allows the EU to fine companies up to 5% of global revenues if their supply chains undermine human rights or harm the environment.
The US-Qatari intervention points to a growing fracture in the world of energy: The two countries supply about a fifth of the EU’s gas needs, and the bloc has said it wants to eliminate its reliance on Russia for the fuel, leaving it with few alternatives to Washington and Doha.
The EU is also looking to maintain an internal balancing act, of maintaining its effort to cut its reliance on oil and gas overall, while also looking to cut red tape as part of a broader bureaucratic simplification drive that climate activists worry will leave opportunities for fossil fuels to remain part of the bloc’s energy system for longer.