Doubling down

China and France have tightened a broad environmental alliance, using a state visit from Dec 3–5 to signal a step-change in delivery on climate, nature and pollution goals. A new joint statement binds the two countries to act on the tangled crises of global heating, biodiversity decline, deforestation, land degradation and water stress—and to do so with urgency.

From pledges to practice

The partners commit to speeding up renewable energy deployment while accelerating a fair, orderly shift away from fossil fuels. Implementation—rather than new promises—takes center stage: both sides stress tighter action on greenhouse gas mitigation, deeper adaptation planning and support for countries that need financing to transition.

Science is placed at the heart of policy. They reaffirm confidence in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and welcome the emerging international science-policy panel on chemicals, waste and pollution.

They also restate alignment with the core environmental compacts that anchor global cooperation, including the climate, biodiversity and desertification conventions, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals. A joint climate statement timed to the Paris Agreement’s tenth anniversary underscores continuity and follow-through.

Energy, industry and the “how” of transition

The roadmap spans technology, markets and governance:

• Endorsement of tripling global nuclear electricity capacity by 2050.
• Backing the shipping sector’s aim to reach net-zero emissions by or around mid-century under the International Maritime Organization’s 2023 strategy.
• Cooperation on methane controls and reductions, including technology deployment and innovation.
• Joint work on carbon pricing, climate investment and financing, common methodologies for product carbon footprints and real-world adaptation practices.
• A shared commitment to a “just, orderly and equitable” transition that protects livelihoods while cutting emissions.

Forests, land and water

Recognizing that climate stability and healthy ecosystems rise and fall together, the two countries aim to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. The plan couples conservation with inclusive rural development and targeted assistance for tropical forest protection.

They also call for stronger integrated water resources management at local, basin and global scales, with an eye on the 2026 UN Water Conference in the United Arab Emirates, cohosted with Senegal, to elevate SDG 6 and accelerate better water governance.

Oceans and the poles

Marine protection features prominently. Looking to the UN Ocean Conference in France in 2025, Chinese and French institutions have been coordinating on marine spatial planning, data-driven decision-making and cooperation on ocean science. Joint research efforts include assessing ocean-based carbon dioxide removal alongside conservation safeguards.

Both governments welcome the imminent activation of the agreement on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and urge swift signature, ratification and implementation worldwide. Cooperation will also continue under the Antarctic Treaty system—including its consultative forum and the commission responsible for conserving Antarctic marine living resources—focused on environmental protection and safeguarding polar biodiversity.

Plastic pollution: toward a binding pact

Beijing and Paris back negotiations for a new, legally binding global instrument to end plastic pollution. Alongside diplomacy, they plan to stimulate research and innovation to scale durable, sustainable and affordable alternatives to conventional plastics.

Financing the transition

Access to capital remains a make-or-break factor for many countries. The two sides intend to collaborate on expanding climate and environmental finance for developing nations, aiming for developed countries to lead mobilization by 2035 while encouraging voluntary contributions from developing economies. Consideration is also being given to a broad coalition for prosperity, people and the planet designed to rewire global finance for sustainability.

New machinery for cooperation

To convert intentions into outcomes, China and France are exploring a dedicated bilateral working group on climate and environment, with a view to convening a first meeting in the first half of 2026. The forum would accelerate joint work on policy design, technology deployment and investment.

Why this matters now

This updated partnership builds on earlier joint declarations and puts implementation front and center: cut emissions, restore ecosystems, drive down pollution, and move money and technology where they are needed most. The signal is clear—align national strategies with science, protect nature as climate policy, and treat equity as essential to pace.

With the window narrowing to bend the curves of warming and biodiversity loss, a coordinated push from two major economies could help reset expectations ahead of key milestones in 2025 and 2026. The test, as ever, will be measured in megawatts installed, forests standing, methane not emitted, plastics avoided and communities made safer from the shocks already here.