Climate diplomacy: Commissioner Arias Cañete reaches out to partners in run-up to global deal

Between 16 and 23 July, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete is meeting with key international partners as preparations intensify for a new global climate agreement to be adopted in Paris this December. On 16 and 20 July, respectively, he will meet with US climate envoy Todd Stern and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua. On 18–19 July, he will co-chair the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF), a meeting convened by the US where ministers from major developed and developing economies will seek convergence of views on key issues in the climate negotiations. Many of the same issues will be on the agenda of an informal ministerial meeting convened by the incoming French presidency of the Paris conference, on 20–21 July in Paris. At EU level, preparations for the new global climate agreement will be discussed at an informal Environment Council on 22–23 July, with a particular focus on climate finance.