Clean Energy as Security: Starmer and von der Leyen Respond to Investor Needs Amid Global Shocks

Copyright: International Energy Agency

At the Future of Energy Summit yesterday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued powerful calls for a bold, coordinated push toward clean energy as a means of securing both economic growth and geopolitical stability.

Both leaders stressed that the clean energy transition is no longer a matter of long-term ambition, but one of immediate necessity — driven by global instability, climate urgency, and economic opportunity.

Keir Starmer: “Energy Security Is National Security”

Keir Starmer framed the energy debate in stark terms, warning that the UK cannot afford to delay the transition away from fossil fuels. “We can’t deliver [energy security] by defending the status quo or trying to turn the clock back to a world that no longer exists,” he said.

Citing recent fossil fuel shocks and volatility, Starmer declared energy independence a matter of national duty. “Energy security is national security, and it is therefore a fundamental duty of government.”

Central to his vision is Great British Energy, a new publicly-owned company focused on accelerating clean energy development, including nuclear and offshore wind. He emphasized the need to “make energy a source not of vulnerability and worry, but a source of strength, of security and pride.”

He highlighted the economic momentum already underway: the UK's net-zero sectors are growing three times faster than the broader economy and support over 600,000 jobs. To build on this growth, Starmer announced a £300 million clean energy fund and called for “policy certainty and ambition” to attract investment.

He also praised the launch of the UK-led Clean Power Alliance within the G20 — a global coalition aimed at fast-tracking clean power solutions.

“This is about making energy a source of strength and pride,” he concluded. “British energy powering British homes, creating British jobs — a collective effort to boost energy security for generations to come.”

One example Starmer gave to highlight the importance of energy independence: the UK's exposure to global fossil fuel price shocks during recent geopolitical crises, which pushed household energy bills to historic highs. “We have to stop being vulnerable to international gas markets,” he said.

Ursula von der Leyen: We Must Not Just Switch Suppliers, But Switch Systems

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed many of Starmer’s themes, emphasising that energy security is now inseparable from national and economic stability.

“We are facing a new paradigm for energy security,” she said. “In Europe, we witnessed firsthand how Russia intentionally weaponised energy supplies.”

She detailed the EU’s efforts to cut reliance on Russian fossil fuels — once responsible for 45% of EU gas imports and a third of its oil. “We went from 45% of our gas imports coming from Russia down to 18%, and we went to zero coal from Russia.”

But von der Leyen emphasized that the challenge goes beyond diversifying suppliers. The real goal, she said, is to overhaul the system itself — moving decisively toward renewables and energy efficiency to phase out fossil fuels altogether.

The EU has already reached 47% renewables in its energy mix, and von der Leyen outlined a five-step strategy to strengthen its energy future:

1. Vision and determination to stay the course;

2. Turning targets into tangible progress, including international partnerships like the European Gateway Initiative, delivering energy infrastructure to Africa;

3. Securing critical minerals, through raw materials deals with countries like South Africa;

4. Developing cross-border infrastructure, such as new grid links between Italy and Tunisia, or Greece and Egypt;

5. Protecting energy systems from physical and cyberattacks, including enhanced collaboration with strategic partners to safeguard undersea cables and other key infrastructure.

   
   

She also spotlighted the Clean Industrial Deal, a €100 billion package to support clean manufacturing, boost energy autonomy, and create skilled jobs.

To make the dangers more tangible, von der Leyen referenced recent sabotage attempts on European energy infrastructure — a stark reminder, she said, of why the EU must “never again be at the mercy of hostile suppliers or vulnerable networks.”

A Shared Vision, A Global Imperative

Despite differing political and institutional roles, Starmer and von der Leyen’s messages were remarkably aligned: clean, homegrown energy is not just a climate imperative, but a foundation for lasting economic resilience, industrial revival, and geopolitical stability.

With public investment ramping up, private capital eager for clear policy frameworks, and international tensions underscoring the risks of dependency, the clean energy transition is emerging as a central pillar of 21st Century security.

---

Join Climate Action for Associations today to take meaningful steps toward shaping the future of climate action within your industry. Click the link here.