“We have chosen not to tackle the climate issue head-on,” an adviser to French Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut advised reporters. “Why? Because the United States’ positions on this issue are well known, and we felt … that tackling this issue head-on with the United States within the G7 framework would not send a message of unity.”
“We chose to focus on less contentious issues,” mentioned the adviser, who briefed reporters on situation of anonymity.
Despite these efforts, the U.S. selected not to ship a high-level consultant to Paris. Washington is represented as an alternative by Usha-Maria Turner, an assistant administrator on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The different six nations despatched their ministers.
“The French government’s approach is understandable,” mentioned a authorities official from Germany, whose Environment Minister Carsten Schneider traveled to Paris for the assembly.
“In addition to the climate crisis, there are many other environmental issues with global implications, including the protection of water resources and biodiversity,” the official mentioned. “It’s important that the U.S. is kept engaged in the relevant international negotiations on solutions in these areas.”
“The U.S. government has at least now been persuaded to convene a separate G20 meeting of environment ministers,” the official added. The U.S. at the moment holds the G20 presidency. An environment ministerial shouldn’t be but on the public calendar.
