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Energy ministers from 54 countries, meeting at IEA, reinforced global cooperation on energy security and critical minerals.
They reaffirmed support for clean energy transition despite US opposition.
The meeting concluded with expanded partnerships and a focus on decarbonisation.
Energy ministers from 54 countries reinforced global cooperation on energy security, critical minerals and the clean energy transition at the ministerial meeting of the International Energy Agency concluded February 19, 2026. They reaffirmed support for climate action despite opposition from the United States (US).
The two-day meeting, chaired by Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Sophie Hermans, concluded with ministers endorsing expanded cooperation on the critical minerals supply chains and strengthening institutional ties with Brazil, Colombia, India and Vietnam.
“These two days in Paris have reaffirmed how essential energy is to our daily lives,” Hermans said, emphasising the need for “secure, affordable and sustainable energy, and resilient systems that can endure in an uncertain world”.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said the decisions marked a significant expansion of global energy cooperation.
“This Ministerial meeting, our largest ever, affirmed the immense value of IEA at a moment when global energy demand is rising, and the challenges facing the energy system are intensifying,” Birol said. “With major energy issues high on the international agenda, we stand ready to support governments with insights they need to plan for the future.”
Ministers unanimously invited Colombia to become the agency’s 33rd member and agreed to begin Brazil’s accession process. Discussions on India’s potential full membership advanced, while Vietnam formally joined the IEA Family as an Association country.
French President Emmanuel Macron, addressing the gathering by video, praised the agency’s role in guiding energy policy. “Through its in-depth analyses and technical expertise, the IEA plays an essential role… to help us guarantee our energy security and steer the energy transition,” he said.
The meeting also approved the integration of the Clean Cooking Alliance into the IEA, positioning the agency as the principal multilateral forum for expanding access to modern cooking energy for the roughly two billion people who still lack it.
Despite pressure from the US to remove climate priorities from the IEA’s agenda, ministers overwhelmingly reaffirmed support for decarbonisation aligned with global climate goals.
UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the transition is grounded in economic reality. “For many, indeed most countries, clean energy is the most secure and affordable way to meet rising demand… based on an assessment of cold, hard economic fact,” he said.
European Commissioner Dan Jørgensen framed the transition as a strategic priority. “Renewables, electrification and modern grids are not costs to manage, but strategic assets that help us lower prices and protect our consumers from energy supply shocks,” he said.
Ministers endorsed an expanded mandate for the IEA’s Critical Minerals Security Programme, citing risks from supply concentration, export restrictions and underinvestment in processing capacity. The declaration called for improved data transparency, emergency preparedness measures such as stockpiling guidance and coordinated investment across supply chains.
In a message to the meeting, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged countries to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels and create a global platform to coordinate the transition.
“We have entered the age of clean energy,” Guterres said, noting that renewable energy is now “the cheapest, fastest and safest source of new electricity almost everywhere”. He warned that dependence on fossil fuels remains “one of the greatest threats to global stability and prosperity” and called for coordinated international planning to align investment, energy security and climate goals.
The ministerial also addressed rising electricity demand, artificial intelligence’s impact on energy systems, nuclear power deployment and investment in Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amid ongoing war-related damage.
Ministers reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s energy resilience and reconstruction, highlighting the need for international coordination and private investment to rebuild infrastructure and integrate the country more closely with European energy markets.