The phrase "to counter these efforts" means to take action or do something to oppose or resist the actions that are being made or created. Full definition
A strong editorial in the journal Nature, statements from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Meteorological Society, and an analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists set the record straight in countering the effort by the global warming denial machine to spin up a scandal over the climate scientists» e-mail stolen from the University of East Anglia. (climatesciencewatch.org)
This support was key in countering the efforts of organized labor to stop the agreement. (inc.com)
Juergen Stark, an ECB Executive Board member, pointed out that any kind of debt restructuring would counter efforts for Greece's return to the bond markets and weaken reform efforts. (businessinsider.com)