EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen urges global acceleration of fossil fuel phase-out at COP30 in Belém
#climatechange #climateaction #cop30
European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen delivered a firm call for global action during the High-Level Dialogue on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Speaking on 15 November 2025, Jørgensen warned that the world is entering yet another record-breaking year of heat, stressing that the climate crisis is accelerating faster than expected. He highlighted that the landmark decision at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels marked not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning—signalling a shift from discussion to concrete implementation.
Jørgensen reaffirmed the European Union’s leadership role by outlining the bloc’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution, which includes an indicative emissions reduction contribution of 66.25% to 72.5% for 2025–2035. He emphasized that the EU remains firmly on track toward climate neutrality by 2050, supported by its agreed target of a 90% reduction in net emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.
The Commissioner underscored that fossil fuel demand in Europe is falling sharply. Natural gas consumption has dropped from 500 billion cubic metres in 2019 to 300 billion in 2024, with further declines of 35–50% expected by 2030 and 50–70% by 2040. He stressed that Europe’s transition also focuses on cleaning the emissions linked to the smaller volumes of fossil fuels still imported.
Jørgensen noted that the EU’s methane regulation—the first in the world to also cover imports—sets strict obligations for monitoring, reporting, and reducing emissions across natural gas, oil, and coal sectors. He acknowledged that Europe’s shift away from fossil fuels will affect current suppliers, but reiterated the EU’s commitment to ensuring a just transition, as promised at COP28.
He pointed to the T-MED programme as a key example, supporting North African and Mediterranean countries in developing solar, wind, and green hydrogen sectors to secure new economic opportunities.
Addressing the broader global agenda, Jørgensen welcomed President Lula’s initiative for a COP30 roadmap to guide the world’s transition away from fossil fuels. He argued that the roadmap should be bottom-up, science-based, and aligned with existing national plans and the work of alliances such as the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.
He called for the roadmap to deliver practical, action-oriented measures capable of producing real change on the ground. Jørgensen praised BOGA’s role in securing the fossil fuel transition language adopted at COP28 and expressed pride in Denmark’s early role in founding the alliance four years earlier.
Concluding his speech, Jørgensen declared that although paragraph 28 of the Global Stocktake contains just over 200 words, its message can be distilled into five: “There is no going back.” He urged global leaders to turn this commitment into tangible action, warning that humanity’s future now depends on these words being fulfilled.
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