Those who pit security against international cooperation will ultimately end up with neither. Current conflicts demonstrate why energy sovereignty, climate protection, and cooperation go hand in hand.
The attacks on Iran and the ensuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz have underlined the high human and economic costs of a world in which major powers wage war instead of resolving conflicts by diplomatic means.
But they have also had a further effect. The resulting oil and gas price shocks have triggered a response that undermines the strategy behind the war, which depends on fossil fuel dominance. Governments in many parts of the world have halted fossil energy projects and accelerated the expansion of renewable energies. Companies are recognising the urgency of the transition. Demand for photovoltaics, heat pumps, and electric cars is rising. To many, it is now clearer than ever that energy security and climate protection are not opposing concepts. On the contrary: electrification and the expansion of renewable energies have long since become a strategic necessity.
Those wishing to challenge “might makes right” must create and defend spaces where rules apply and cooperation remains possible. In a multipolar world in particular, stability depends on states acting together and respecting existing agreements, even when individual major powers increasingly call these into question. The former president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, described what such cooperation might look like at the 2026 Berlin Forum on Global Cooperation , organised by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in collaboration with the Humboldt-Universität. Investments in European defence must not come at the expense of cooperation with countries of the Global South. For, as Boric noted, “the net result” of this approach would be “not more security [but] more instability, more fertile ground for other powers (with fewer scruples about sovereignty and rights) to fill the void [left by Europe]”. At the same time, he made it clear that international cooperation must change; partnership-focused rhetoric alone is not enough. What matters is technological development, value creation, and good local jobs.
New Alliances for the Energy Transition
The growing importance of such approaches was also evident at the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands in the Colombian port city of Santa Marta at the end of April 2026. The event brought together a “coalition of the willing” of 57 nations, representing around a third of the global economy. They agreed on a follow-up process comprising three thematic workstreams: national and regional phase-out roadmaps, trade policy instruments, and financing. Despite a lack of progress at the international level, these countries are continuing to drive cooperation forward and are not allowing themselves to be deterred by the lack of consensus at COP30 in Belém. This is because, for an increasing number of countries, the benefits of phasing out fossil fuels outweigh the associated costs and challenges. The phase-out can only happen if we transition to a decentralised energy system based primarily on solar and wind power and electrify as many end uses as possible. This requires cooperation within various coalitions and constellations. These collaborations are not merely an investment in climate protection; they also strengthen energy sovereignty, food security, and the sense of trust that arises from shared interests and peaceful relations.
At the same time, they can help counterbalance the dominant players in global energy markets. Many countries have a strong interest in preserving their autonomy in the face of geopolitical power struggles. For Germany and Europe, this presents a political and economic opportunity: to support technological developments and facilitate advances in development as reliable partners, thereby contributing to a more secure and cooperative international order.
At a time when “might is right” is increasingly prevalent, international cooperation is not an idealistic luxury – it is a strategic necessity.
Get Involved - Presidents' column
Get involved! There’s no other way to be real – thus the message of Heinrich Böll, and, to this day, his encouragement is inspiring us. With this column the Presidents of the Foundation involve themselves in current social and political debates. This column will appear each month, authored, in turn, by Jan Philipp Albrecht and Imme Scholz.