Since 2000, the European Union (EU), a leader in global climate politics, has been looking for alternative avenues to enforce climate relations with other countries. Employing a multi‐level governance lens, this article focuses on the EU–India bilateral relations on energy and climate. The analysis finds strong opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation on low carbon development, a potential that has not yet been realized. The stimulating and accelerating impact that multi‐level reinforcement could have in the energy and climate relations between the EU and India has not been exploited by either side yet. The various forms of cooperation that include the national government and the states in India offer more room for linkages which might move the Indian/European climate cooperation ahead further. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment