The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)

Baroness Ashton and Commissioner Hedegaard introduced the second FAC discussion of climate diplomacy following the previous discussion in July 2011. Climate change was a core foreign policy issue given its security, economic and physical impacts. The EU had played a key role in the agreement at the UN climate change conference in Durban in 2011 thanks to our ability to speak with one voice and build the right alliances with over 100 progressive developing countries.

Member states strongly supported the EEAS and Commission work, reflection paper and proposed way ahead. I emphasised that the commitments from Durban were only achievable with political support at the highest levels so, with a critical two years ahead, we needed to raise the issue of climate change at the strategic level, across the EEAS, Commission and member states. Conclusions were agreed and it was decided that the FAC should return to this next year.

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