# Woke European leaders scolded Trump for championing fossil fuels over green energy… now they’re all copying him

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/woke-european-leaders-scolded-trump-for-championing-fossil-fuels-over-green-energy-now-theyre-all-copying-him/
- Published: 2026-08-24T18:06:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-24T18:22:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16075891/europe-leaders-climate-targets-fossil-fuels-donald-trump.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Europe, World

## Key points

- European leaders are reversing climate policies after once criticising Trump's fossil fuel stance
- EU weakening carbon pricing; Germany cutting renewable subsidies and heating mandates
- UK's Burnham considering new North Sea drilling and reviewing EV targets

## Summary

A Daily Mail report says European leaders who criticised Donald Trump for prioritising fossil fuels over green energy are now rolling back their own climate commitments, moves the White House has hailed as "common sense making a comeback". Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump scrapped the EPA Endangerment Finding, withdrew from the Paris Agreement and paused Inflation Reduction Act clean energy funding, drawing criticism from figures such as Germany's Robert Habeck and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Less than two years on, energy historian Daniel Yergin says European governments are now shifting focus towards economic competitiveness instead.

The EU is proposing to relax its carbon-pricing system, effectively giving car manufacturers longer to keep producing petrol vehicles, while Germany has cut renewable subsidies and dropped plans to mandate green home heating systems amid slowing economic growth. In the UK, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly preparing to permit fresh North Sea oil production and is reviewing electric vehicle sales targets, having told Trump he intends to be "pragmatic" on drilling. INEOS Group had previously warned that Europe's green targets risked "industrial suicide", closing several plants, while a White House spokesman said Trump had "delivered" on rolling back climate goals in favour of affordable energy.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.