Paris forum urges stronger multilateral collaboration

Senior representatives from more than 20 countries gathered in Paris on Monday and Tuesday for the 8th Friends of the Paris Agreement High-Level Dialogue, calling for stronger multilateral cooperation, faster climate action and greater financial support to address the growing challenges of global climate change.

The two-day meeting, held on Monday and Tuesday, brought together senior policymakers, former heads of state, climate negotiators and international organization leaders to discuss multilateral climate governance, the green transition, climate financing and the future implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The dialogue was co-chaired by Xie Zhenhua, China's former special envoy for climate change, and Laurence Tubiana, France's former climate change ambassador and CEO of the European Climate Foundation.

In his opening remarks, Xie highlighted the progress made in global climate governance and the transition toward green and low-carbon development since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015.

He stressed the importance of upholding multilateralism and fairness, encouraging healthy competition and practical cooperation, and striking a balance between economic development and people's livelihoods.

Xie also emphasized the need to maintain open and candid dialogue amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainties.

Despite the multiple challenges facing the international community, China's determination to tackle climate change and its commitment to achieving its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals will remain unchanged, he said.

The meeting took place against a backdrop of mounting pressure on multilateral climate cooperation and growing concerns over the credibility and implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Participants agreed that, as 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the agreement's signing and entry into force, its goals, principles and institutional framework must be upheld.

They noted that the main challenge facing global climate governance is not the lack of international consensus, but insufficient action, inadequate implementation and a shortage of support.

The participants urged countries to accelerate the delivery of existing climate commitments, strengthen international cooperation and prepare for the second global stocktaking, a process designed to assess collective progress toward achieving the Paris Agreement's long-term goals.

According to figures presented at the meeting, 133 countries have submitted a new round of nationally determined contributions, or NDCs, outlining their climate commitments through 2035, while more than 130 countries and regions have announced carbon neutrality or net-zero emissions targets.

Participants said these developments demonstrate that, despite profound changes in the international political and economic landscape, tackling climate change and advancing the low-carbon transition remain widely shared priorities.

However, they also warned that climate-related risks are becoming increasingly severe, with rising ocean temperatures, retreating glaciers and the combined effects of El Nino and extreme weather events posing growing threats to communities and economies worldwide.

They called for greater attention to climate adaptation and resilience alongside efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the need to strengthen disaster preparedness and countries' ability to respond to climate-related risks.

Launched in 2019, the Friends of the Paris Agreement initiative brings together senior figures who have played important roles in negotiating and implementing the landmark climate accord.

The annual dialogue is jointly organized by the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University and the European Climate Foundation, which take turns hosting the event.