SUBSCRIBE
PROFILE

France seeks to create a China-EU duo to offset US withdrawal

France proposes a stronger alliance between the European Union and China to counter the absence of the United States in the fight against climate change, with a summit scheduled for July 2025.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

SUBSCRIBE - 99$/year

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

French Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, expressed her desire to develop stronger cooperation between China and the European Union (EU) in the fight against climate change. Speaking at the ChangeNow conference in Paris on April 24, she emphasized the need for a joint declaration between the two entities in response to the United States’ withdrawal from the diplomatic stage on climate issues. “I carry the ambition that we could have a joint EU-China declaration because I believe that both the EU and China today have real ambitions on climate,” she stated.

This initiative comes in a particular context where China and the EU are called upon to compensate for Washington’s absence on the climate front. On April 23, Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed that China will continue its efforts to combat global warming, despite the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement under President Donald Trump’s leadership.

A common front before COP30

The French minister also referenced the joint declaration signed by the United States and China at the Sunnyland summit in November 2023. This document laid the groundwork for an important agreement ahead of COP28 in Dubai, on the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels. Agnès Pannier-Runacher hopes that a similar approach can be adopted by the EU and China, to maintain multilateral pressure for concrete climate action. A China-EU summit on climate issues is scheduled for July 2025.

European divisions on climate goals

However, France may face divisions within the EU. The 27 member states struggle to agree on greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2035, with some countries, such as Italy, pushing for less ambitious cuts than those proposed by the European Commission, which aims for a 90% reduction by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. France has yet to reveal its position on this issue.

In this context, France’s challenge is to align the different wills of the member states while strengthening cooperation with China, within a broader framework of combating climate change.

  • Popular on energynews.pro
BHP sells 49% of its Pilbara power network to GIP for $2 billion
JSW Energy targets $1.19bn capital raise to support its investment cycle through 2030
United States adds 11.7 GW of renewable capacity in Q3 despite uncertainty
Framatome to upgrade critical systems at Columbia nuclear power plant
France and China prepare climate task force to secure nuclear and cleantech
French power overcapacity forces strategic revision before end of December
Facing a structural electricity surplus, the government commits to releasing a new Multiannual Energy Programme by Christmas, as aligning supply, demand and investments becomes a key industrial and budgetary issue.
Fossil fuel divisions block adoption of major UN report
A key scientific report by the United Nations Environment Programme failed to gain state approval due to deep divisions over fossil fuels and other sensitive issues.
France: RTE calls for accelerated electrification to reduce fossil fuel dependence
RTE warns of France’s delay in electrifying energy uses, a key step to limiting fossil fuel imports and supporting its reindustrialisation strategy.
India cancels 6.3 GW of renewable connections, signalling regulatory shift
India’s central authority has cancelled 6.3 GW of grid connections for renewable projects since 2022, marking a tightening of regulations and a shift in responsibility back to developers.
Brazil launches roadmap to reduce its dependence on oil
The Brazilian government has been instructed to define within two months a plan for the gradual reduction of fossil fuels, supported by a national energy transition fund financed by oil revenues.
Germany delays RED III directive, retroactive enforcement now likely
The German government may miss the January 2026 deadline to transpose the RED III directive, creating uncertainty over biofuel mandates and disrupting markets.
Italy awards 8.6GW in renewables in Fer-X tender
Italy allocated 82% of the proposed solar and wind capacities in the Fer-X auction, totalling 8.6GW, with competitive purchase prices and a strong concentration of projects in the southern part of the country.
Paris appoints Jean-Bernard Lévy to review subsidies for renewables
Amid rising public spending, the French government has tasked two experts with reassessing the support scheme for renewable electricity and storage, with proposals expected within three months.
Polish army joins efforts to secure power grid against drone threats
National operator PSE partners with armed forces to protect transformer stations as critical infrastructure faces sabotage linked to foreign interference.
Norway launches a commission to plan the post-oil era
The Norwegian government establishes a commission to anticipate the decline of hydrocarbons and assess economic options for the country in the coming decades.
Kazakhstan launches tenders for 3 GW of renewable capacity by 2026
Kazakhstan plans to allocate 3 GW of wind and solar projects by the end of 2026 through public tenders, with a first 1 GW tranche in 2025, amid efforts to modernise its power system.
Power outages in the United States reach record 11 hours per customer in 2024
Hurricanes Beryl, Helene and Milton accounted for 80% of electricity outages recorded in 2024, marking a ten-year high according to federal data.
France: the CRE launches a transitional mechanism to regulate suppliers
The French Energy Regulatory Commission introduces a temporary prudential control on gas and electricity suppliers through a “guichet à blanc” opening in December, pending the transposition of European rules.
Carney and Smith unlock pipeline to Asia and amend tanker ban law
The Carney–Smith agreement launches a new pipeline to Asia, removes oil and gas emission caps, and initiates reform of the Pacific north coast tanker ban.
Post-CfD renewable assets expose investors to increased market risk
The gradual exit from CfD contracts is turning stable assets into infrastructures exposed to higher volatility, challenging expected returns and traditional financing models for the renewable sector.
Canada reforms Energy Efficiency Act to align policy with digital markets
The Canadian government introduces major legislative changes to the Energy Efficiency Act to support its national strategy and adapt to the realities of digital commerce.
Quebec maintains sole carbon price at the pump despite federal tax repeal
Quebec becomes the only Canadian province where a carbon price still applies directly to fuels, as Ottawa eliminated the public-facing carbon tax in April 2025.
India invests $872mn to locally produce rare earth permanent magnets
New Delhi launches a 72.8 bn INR incentive plan to build a 6,000-tonne domestic capacity for permanent magnets, amid rising Chinese export restrictions on critical components.
Long-term contracts reshape electricity market risk over 30 years amid volatility
The rise of CfDs, PPAs and capacity mechanisms signals a structural shift: markets alone no longer cover 10–30-year financing needs, while spot prices have surged 400% in Europe since 2019.
Berlin plans to acquire 25.1% of TenneT Germany by early 2026
Germany plans to finalise the €5.8bn ($6.34bn) purchase of a 25.1% stake in TenneT Germany to strengthen its control over critical national power grid infrastructure.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

START - 99$/year

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.