EU Climate Diplomacy

Background

The EESC acknowledges that the unravelling climate crisis is now of an existential nature and therefore requires immediate, real and bold action. The EESC believes therefore that the EU should make climate change an urgent and strategic priority in diplomatic dialogues and initiatives occurring within different fora and with different partners. It also believes that the EU should raise climate diplomacy as a flagship policy in its foreign relations and external affairs.

Through this opinion the EESC explores practical aspects of the EU climate diplomacy and delivers suggestions on how to make the EU Climate Diplomacy more effective. The opinion also tries to encourage and support initiatives for new participatory and more inclusive schemes for climate related solutions, which will facilitate the implementation of the European Green Deal.

The EESC wants to take an institutional position in order to provide the view of the EU's organised civil society on the crucial role played by climate diplomacy in implementing the Paris Climate Agreement and the EU's commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Climate diplomacy should not just be part of the state-to-state diplomacy; it should count on the involvement of other actors such as civil society, regions, cities, businesses, unions, academia and scientific experts. They all can be agents of change for a genuine climate transition. The creation of a Civil Society Diplomacy Network could be a starting point.

Stefano Mallia, EESC member and rapporteur of the opinion underlined: "There is no time to waste if we want to avoid irreparable damage. Climate diplomacy is preventive diplomacy. This is why there is an urgent need to upgrade climate diplomacy, making it the flagship action of the EU’s external affairs and foreign policy."

Key points

In this opinion the EESC:

• calls on EU to spearhead and develop infrastructure, finance, and governance pathways by mobilizing public and private financial sources to assist partner and neighbouring countries to manage the impacts of the European Green Deal;
• encourages the EU to adopt a comprehensive strategy of climate diplomacy with short- and long-term priorities;
• urges Member States to ensure a better coordination in order to align their foreign policy with climate imperatives and the EU Green Deal goals;
• invites the EU institutions to enrich the climate diplomacy toolbox with initiatives aiming not only to raise climate ambitions but also to share the EU’s experience and address climate-related risks.

The full text of the opinion can be found here

Additional information

EESC section: External Relations Section (REX)

Opinion type: Own-initiative

Rapporteur-general: Stefano Mallia (Employers' -GR I /Malta)

Reference: REX/569-EESC-2023

Date of adoption by section: 28 September 2023

Date of adoption in plenary: 13-14 December 2023

Result of the vote: 203 in favour/2 against/ 2 abstentions