New energy treaty signed by 27 nations

Twenty-seven nations signed a binding energy-transition treaty in Brussels on Wednesday, committing to interconnect grids, jointly procure storage capacity and phase down unabated coal generation on a common timetable. It is the first treaty to make grid interconnection targets legally enforceable.

The pact creates a shared investment vehicle seeded with €50 billion to underwrite cross-border transmission projects, which planners identify as the single largest bottleneck to renewable expansion. Three additional countries signalled intent to join within the year.

Energy economists called the treaty's procurement pooling its most significant clause: by aggregating national storage tenders, signatories expect to cut battery costs by up to a fifth and accelerate deployment timelines that currently stretch past 2030.