Presentation short abstract

The Eastern Mediterranean gas conflict reveals tensions between energy security and climate justice. This study examines how the EU and multinational corporations shape regional hydrocarbon politics, prioritizing energy interests while marginalizing environmental and justice concerns.

Presentation long abstract

Abstract

The Eastern Mediterranean has emerged as a strategic hotspot where energy geopolitics, corporate interests, and environmental vulnerability intersect. Recent offshore gas discoveries have not only redefined maritime boundaries and alliances but also intensified regional competition among states such as Turkey, Greece, Israel, and Cyprus. Within this complex landscape, the European Union and multinational energy corporations play pivotal yet distinct roles in shaping the trajectory of hydrocarbon development and its political implications. This presentation examines how the EU’s energy diversification strategy—particularly its pursuit of alternatives to Russian gas—has intersected with the commercial and strategic interests of multinational corporations. It argues that while the EU frames its engagement in the region through discourses of energy security, regional cooperation, and sustainability, its policies often reproduce existing geopolitical asymmetries and marginalize climate justice considerations. Similarly, corporate actors’ exploration activities have reinforced exclusive territorial claims and deepened environmental risks, particularly for small and vulnerable island polities like Cyprus. Drawing on official EU communications, corporate sustainability reports, and academic analyses, it shows how both actors reproduce a “energy security–development” logic that sidelines the distributive and intergenerational dimensions of climate justice. Ultimately, it highlights how the EU–corporate nexus in the Eastern Mediterranean exemplifies the broader tensions between green transition rhetoric and fossil-fuel dependency in the age of climate crisis, raising critical questions about power, legitimacy, and justice in regional energy governance.