Climate diplomacy : « The EU needs a total rethink of how it negotiates » (Monique Barbut)
"The European Union must stop being naive and needs a total rethink of how it negotiates. It must be prepared to adopt firmer positions, define precise negotiating mandates, stand by its red lines, and be capable of rejecting a bad deal," said Monique Barbut, Minister for Ecological Transition, on 12/06/2026.
She was being heard by the French Senate’s Fact-Finding Mission on Climate Diplomacy (set up on the initiative of the Rassemblement des démocrates, progressistes et indépendants - RDPI group), which is drawing to a close after more than thirty hearings.
"It is no longer a question of accepting terms on the pretext that we must save multilateralism, an argument we hear at the end of every meeting, and COP 30 in Belém was no exception!" continues Monique Barbut.
"The EU must also pursue a more transparent diplomatic approach and be able to explain its policies to its partners. For the next COP, I have asked the European Commission to prepare summary sheets, country by country, on financial efforts regarding climate change, but also on the impact of the CBAM- which is all too often misunderstood."
In her view, it is also necessary to "adopt a transactional approach within the COPs, given the size of the EU’s internal market. We must be able to close our market to products that do not meet our environmental standards, defend the CBAM and strengthen European preference. The aim is to reconcile trade, industrial and climate policies".
The minister is also calling for compliance with the Paris Agreement to be made a clause in trade agreements signed between the EU and a third party, "as we cannot continue to pit these issues against one another".
The final report of this fact-finding mission, which will summarise the various discussions, is expected in early July.
Paris Agreement: "We must safeguard its legacy"
"The anniversary of the Paris Agreement has allowed us to highlight the progress made, but also to remind us that we must safeguard its legacy," the minister noted. "The momentum generated ten years ago is now being held back by shifting international power dynamics and mounting geopolitical tensions."
For the minister, this loss of momentum is illustrated by the results of COP 30 in Belém, with "a meaningless declaration that does not even mention phasing out fossil fuels, despite this being at the heart of the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, to date, 58 countries have still not submitted their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), despite this being their sole commitment."
"The historic COP that truly set the phase-out of fossil fuels in stone as our priority was the one in Dubai," she continued. “And then there are new issues to address, such as methane - which has also been highlighted in the context of the G7 Environment.”
Climate finance: “We absolutely must make progress”
Another point highlighted by the minister during her hearing was climate finance, and in particular the broadening of the donor base, on which “we absolutely must make progress. The EU currently accounts for more than half of climate finance to developing countries. What was acceptable in 1992 is no longer acceptable."
"It is not right that major emerging economies or the Gulf states are not contributing. France, with over €6 billion in climate finance each year, is contributing three times its fair share, given its historical emissions".
Furthermore, “our climate diplomacy must put adaptation issues back at the heart of our agenda. If we do not invest more in the resilience of the most vulnerable countries—and I am thinking in particular of African nations—food crises, migratory pressures and geopolitical tensions will multiply."
Monique Barbut, "a staunch advocate of using international carbon credits"
"The EU currently accounts for just 6% of global emissions, and this figure is falling. Even if Europe were to achieve carbon neutrality, this would not prevent climate change. Focusing all decarbonisation efforts solely on Europe therefore makes no sense. I am therefore a fervent advocate of developing the use of international carbon credits," says Monique Barbut.
She believes that "this instrument enables everyone to 'cover the last mile' at a lower cost: what can be achieved in other countries will cost less than the cost per tonne of carbon avoided in Europe. Furthermore, this places us within a virtuous circle, with the CBAM on one side, and on the other the fact that we are prepared to purchase carbon credits, enabling the poorest countries to finance adaptation policies or decarbonise their own economies".
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