Qatar will not be delivering liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, if the EU does not look at how to water down sustainability law or cancel it, Qatar’s minister of state for energy affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said on Monday on a panel at the ADIPEC 2025 energy conference in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking about regulations and trade barriers, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the minister of state for energy affairs, the president and CEO of QatarEnergy reiterated Qatar’s opposition to European laws and regulations that would impose fines of up to 5% of their net worldwide turnover on companies that fail to comply with the proposed corporate sustainability due diligence directive.
“If the Europe does not look at how to water down sustainability or cancel it, we will not be delivering LNG, for sure 100%. We cannot reach net-zero, as this is one of the requirements, among others. Europe needs the gas from Qatar, US, and many other places around the world,” the minister noted.
Qatar and US warn that the EU’s proposed corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD) could harm LNG trade, raise energy prices, and threaten Europe’s energy security.
The EU directive requires companies to find and fix human rights and environmental issues in their supply chains or face financial penalties.
Approved by the European Parliament in April 2024, this directive applies to EU companies with over 1,000 employees and a worldwide turnover higher than €450m, and non-EU companies with a turnover exceeding €450m in the EU.
Companies found in breach of the obligations may incur fines of up to 5% of their net worldwide turnover. They can also be required to compensate affected individuals and communities.
Qatar and the U.S. called for the reconsideration of several parts of the directive, including the texts on extraterritorial application, transition plans for climate change mitigation, penalties and civil liability of companies.
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi joined global ministers at the ADIPEC 2025 opening ceremony ministerial panel, underscoring the human dimension of energy policy.
“We shouldn’t be following politics when we look at the lives of people for the future and how much energy we need for the future.”
The State of Qatar and the United States of America, both major LNG producers, sent a letter recently to the heads of state of EU member states, expressing deep concern regarding the European Union’s proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and its unintended consequences for LNG export competitiveness and the availability of reliable, affordable energy for EU consumers.
This comes at a critical moment when both countries and companies are striving not only to sustain but to significantly increase the supply of LNG to the EU.
The letter, signed by U.S. department of energy secretary Chris Wright and Qatari minister of state for energy affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, stressed that these provisions pose significant challenges and seriously undermine the ability of the American, Qatari, and broader international energy community to maintain and expand their partnerships and operations within the EU.
