U.N. Security Council chair says world needs "more energy, not less," warns some climate policies risk harm

The official chairing the U.N. Security Council opened a session on critical minerals and energy by urging an immediate push for expanded energy access worldwide, saying "We need more energy, not less energy." The chair framed energy as essential to prosperity and security and tied it to geopolitical stability.

The chair said the discussion matters because affordable, reliable energy underpins modern life and national security. "Energy is life," the chair said, adding that a lack of reliable energy leads to "poverty, despair, and death." He argued that some governments' aggressive climate policies are "unrealistic and poorly planned" and described the "energy delusions implicit in climate policies" as growing threats to nations and peoples.

Pointing to global disparities, the chair contrasted "about 1 billion" people he said live with modern energy comforts with roughly "7 billion" more who aspire to similar standards, and called for "massively more energy" to close that gap. He also said "2 billion people" lack access to clean cooking fuels and cited the United Nations Health Agency in saying indoor air pollution from traditional fuels kills "over 2 million people." These figures were presented as the rationale for prioritizing expanded energy access.

Linking energy to security, the chair said that restricting energy supplies can increase dependence on "unfriendly sources" beyond national borders and cited Europe's recent energy difficulties tied to heavy reliance on Russian oil and gas as an example. He emphasized the strategic importance of critical minerals, saying open markets and diversified supply chains reduce the risk of conflict and that no country should be overly depended upon for materials vital to national security.

Using everyday technology as an example, the chair noted that many devices require magnets made from rare-earth elements and the energy needed to produce them, and urged efforts to strengthen supply chains and increase access to energy. He closed by calling for international cooperation to keep major trade lanes open "from the Panama Canal to the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz" so the movement of energy and goods can continue to support global economies and security.

The session was framed as a U.N. Security Council conversation about the links among energy, minerals and security; the chair urged countries to work together to prevent supply shocks and safeguard shared prosperity.