How countries can signal climate cooperation needs

🇫🇷🇨🇳 France and China released a new joint statement on climate and environmental cooperation during President Macron’s state visit to Beijing last week. Compared to their March statement marking the Paris Agreement’s 10th anniversary, the new one shows a notable shift in focus after COP30 👇 🤝 A new bilateral working group: France and China will explore establishing a climate and environment working group in early 2026. This institutionalises cooperation at a time of US withdrawal and strained EU–China relations—giving both sides a stable diplomatic channel. 🌿 From ambition to implementation: While the March statement centred on coordinating ahead of COP30 and aligning upcoming NDCs, the December statement moves toward implementation and consolidation, integrating climate with biodiversity, oceans, water and pollution. 🪨 Fossil fuel transition reaffirmed: Both statements include the commitment to “transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner.” Interesting in itself, given the tensions around this topic at COP30. But in December, it’s embedded in a broader cooperation agenda (methane, carbon pricing, adaptation), reflecting the post-Belém context. 💸 Developing countries & finance get new weight: Unlike March, the December statement puts real emphasis on supporting developing countries’ access to finance and references global financing reforms and the Kunming Biodiversity Fund—striking given China’s more cautious stance on climate finance at COP30. 🔍 Bottom line: The December statement signals a shift from pre-COP30 ambition-setting to post-COP30 institution-building and practical cooperation. It shows that even in a difficult geopolitical context, France and China are positioning climate as an area for steady engagement and structured dialogue. Curious to see how that will translate into the broader EU-China climate dynamic and upcoming member state visits to China, e.g. by Germany. #FranceChina #climate #energy #climatefinance #transitionawayfromfossilfuels #Macron #XiJinping

In a global economy, emissions don’t stop at borders – they move with the goods we trade. Almost every major economy is both an exporter and an importer of emissions. Around a quarter of global emissions are embedded in traded goods, and the G20 accounts for over 80% of these flows. This week at COP30 Brazil, the Climate Club released "Industry on the Road to 2050". My contribution with my colleagues Richard Baron, Samuel Leré and Matthew L. focuses on these “embedded emissions” – one of the largest blind spots in global climate governance. If we want to cut global emissions effectively, we need ways to reflect the carbon that moves through global value chains. It is also a politically sensitive area: decisions on accounting and responsibility can trigger concern about competitiveness or fairness. All the more reason to avoid fragmented responses and work towards cooperative approaches. Our paper highlights a political entry point: a cooperative system – bilateral or plurilateral – grounded in common data and shared monitoring, made possible by technical alignment. Some data already exists, but more work is needed to refine it. The European Climate Foundation will play its part by publishing a tracker at the end of 2026. But measurement alone will not deliver change. We also need practical cooperation and political will. This could help major economies – including the EU, China, India and Brazil – work together on standards for near-zero industrial materials, and align public procurement and industrial policies so they reward cleaner production rather than penalise development. The details are complex. What looks like slow progress from the outside often reflects difficult work on definitions, baselines and compatibility. Yet a larger picture is emerging: cooperation on embedded emissions can bridge industrial competitiveness, climate ambition and a fairer trading system. In practical terms, our paper outlines several steps: – harmonising core accounting principles so that data can be trusted and compared; – a voluntary coalition of countries must regularly publish their imported emissions and set reduction targets – developing shared benchmarks for low-emissions materials; – using public and private procurement to create real markets for clean industrial products; – ensuring emerging economies have the support needed to participate fully. You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ecyjxdh9 Many thanks to the Climate Club team for their leadership, and to all those building the spaces where this cooperation can take shape. On the road to Belém and beyond, trade policy must now become core to the decarbonisation effort – and support the essential task of phasing out fossil fuels.

The Breakthrough Agenda Report 2024 is now online: https://lnkd.in/er-rchJS Looking back over the past year, we see that in some areas, countries are working together to solve the practical problems of the low carbon transition. - sharing of learning from demonstration projects of deeply decarbonised power systems; - agreeing measurement methodologies and mutual recognition for certification schemes for low carbon and renewable hydrogen; - committing to increase the efficiency of new air conditioners by 50% by 2030, underpinned by minimum energy performance standards; - piloting digital passports for sustainability and traceability in battery supply chains; - coordinating the installation of charging infrastructure for heavy duty electric vehicles along international road freight corridors. Those are a few highlights, from among a huge number of collaborative efforts involving governments, businesses, and civil society organisations. There are just as many areas where more could be done. Two overarching priorities include: - Spreading progress in the transition to more countries, through greater use of concessional finance, risk guarantees, and technical assistance to developing countries; - Getting the transition started in more sectors, by coordinating policy to create demand for (near)zero emission products and technologies. This is important in sectors such as steel, cement, and hydrogen. As the report has said in previous years, without international cooperation, the global transition could be delayed by decades; with it, transitions can be faster, less difficult, and lower cost. But realising that potential requires countries to invest seriously - financially, politically, and with time and attention - in the process of diplomacy focused on practical problem-solving. The world has already agreed net zero targets. Cooperation to solve the practical problems on the way to reaching those targets can no longer be seen as a side-event. It should be the central focus of climate change diplomacy from now on - along with an equally practical approach to resilience.

Leveraging International Cooperation for Climate Goals: The Role of ITMOs: As we progress towards a more collaborative era of climate action, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement offers us innovative tools like Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). But what are ITMOs, and why should we, as sustainability professionals, take notice? ITMOs represent a groundbreaking approach where countries can partner to achieve their climate goals more efficiently. They allow for the exchange of emission reductions, enabling countries to finance and claim climate progress through global partnerships. Here's why ITMOs could be a game-changer: 1-    Flexibility in Meeting NDCs: ITMOs provide countries with the flexibility to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by investing in emission reductions globally. 2-    Stimulating Sustainable Development: By investing in mitigation projects overseas, ITMOs can foster sustainable development in host countries, aligning climate action with economic growth. 3-   Enhancing Transparency: ITMOs encourage transparent reporting and tracking of climate efforts, promoting trust and accountability in international climate cooperation. 4-   Fostering Global Solidarity: The mechanism exemplifies how global solidarity can play a pivotal role in confronting climate challenges, pooling resources, and expertise for greater impact. The potential of ITMOs is not just in carbon trading—it's about catalyzing a cooperative spirit that transcends borders for the health of our planet. As we navigate the complexities of climate commitments, let's explore how such collaborative mechanisms can amplify our impact. #ClimateAction #Sustainability #ParisAgreement #ITMOs #Collaboration #NDCs