Environment ministers from G7 nations declared progress at their two-day Paris meeting, despite excluding climate change from the agenda to avoid friction with the United States. France's ecology minister Monique Barbut said the pragmatic focus on consensus yielded seven declarations.
G7 environment ministers wrapped up their two-day meeting in Paris, focusing on nature protection and common challenges while avoiding direct discussion of global warming to appease the United States under President Donald Trump.
France's ecology minister Monique Barbut told reporters, "Climate change, as I said quite frankly, was not directly among these priorities. That is why we chose not to address this fundamental issue, because if we had, we would have risked some partners leaving the negotiating table."
She highlighted the adoption of seven declarations by France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States as "exceptional" results amid challenges to environmental multilateralism. Japan's Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara said Washington's representative engaged fully, with no pressure felt. The U.S. sent Usha-Maria Turner, an EPA assistant administrator, who declined to comment when approached.
Canada's Minister Julie Dabrusin noted that protecting nature and climate "went hand in hand." Italy's Gilberto Pichetto Fratin reported total convergence on "forever chemicals" in water. The declarations covered ocean conservation, environmental security, natural disasters, and water health.
Ministers took initial steps toward a new alliance for biodiversity funding. France plans to announce a €600 million ($701 million) fund in June for conservation in over 100 African national parks, mostly from philanthropic donors.
