Policy Updates

On March 21, 2024, the French Ministry of Finance and Economy announced a contribution by FFEM and Conservation International of EUR2.5 million (US$3 million) to support biodiversity and respond to climate related crises in Amazonia.

The support is in addition to the previous commitment of EUR13 million (US$14 million) provided by the French Treasury to the region. It marked the first government funding entirely dedicated to safeguarding the Earth's vital reserves, which are crucial areas containing irrecoverable carbon stores and biodiversity in ecosystems like forests, mangroves, and peatlands. The reserves are pivotal in mitigating the most dramatic effects of climate change.

The project is an example of the Alliance for the Conservation of Rainforests that France helped to launch in 2019 with a threefold strategy: preserving, restoring and sustainably managing forests and their ecosystems. To achieve these objectives, the project is slated to collaborate with governments and with the Indigenous peoples and local communities who live in and are from the forest.

FFEM is dedicated to the global environment preservation through the co-financing of innovative pilot environmental projects in developing countries. It supports initiatives that generate local environmental, social and economic benefits. Created in 1994 by the French government, FFEM has co-financed 400 projects totaling EUR500 million (US$542 million) in grants, 70% of which are located in Africa and the Mediterranean region.

On March 14, 2024, the French AI Commission delivered a report to French President Emmanuel Macron, containing 25 recommendations for France to take advantage of the technological revolution of AI.

France announced in November 2023 that it will host the AI Safety Summit in December 2024.

The report includes objectives to be led by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Europe and the Ministry of Health on:

• Making France a pioneer of AI for the planet by reinforcing environmental transparency, research into low-impact models, and utilizing AI in the service of energy and environmental transitions;
• Structuring a coherent and concrete diplomatic initiative aimed at establishing a global governance of AI;
• Facilitating data flow, sharing of practices, and evaluation to leverage the benefits of AI in healthcare, improving the provision of care and the daily lives of healthcare professionals; and
• Encouraging individual use, large-scale experimentation, and evaluation of AI tools to strengthen the public education service and improve the daily lives of educational teams.

On February 27, 2024, 102 French NGOs signed an op-ed published in Le Monde.

The article called out France’s February 2024 budget cut of EUR742 million (US$804 million). CSOs argued the cut goes against Macron's 2021 Development Law, which set France on the path to acheiving a 0.7% ODA/GNI ratio. The article stated that by reducing its financial commitments, France had reduced its influence on the international stage at a time when it should be reaffirming its support to multilateralism and CSOs.

The article also underscored the impact that the cut would have on the poorest countries, highlighting projects across sectors that would be reduced or cut due to diminished funding.

Led by Coordination Sud President Olivier Bruyeron, signatures included:

• UNICEF France President Adeline Hazan;
• ONE France President Najat Vallaud-Belkacem;
• Action contre la Faim President Aïcha Koraïchi;
• Oxfam Director General Cécile Duflot;
• WWF Director General Véronique Andrieux;
• Secours catholique Director General Adélaide Bertrand;
• Mouvement pour le planning familial Director Sarah Durocher;
• Handicap International Director Manuel Patrouillard;
• Global Citizen Vice-President for International Advocacy Friederike Röder;
• Equipop Executive Director Aurélie Gal-Régniez;
• CARE France co-directors Emanuela Croce and Alexandre Morel;
• AMREF Health Africa Josselin Léon;
• Friends of the Global Fund Executive Director Hélène Berger; and
• Action Santé Mondial Director Patrick Bertrand.

On December 9, 2023, during COP28, the Dutch government launched an international coalition to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, comprising 13 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Research by the Dutch government found that half of all Dutch fossil fuel subsidies are tied to international agreements. This international coalition was created with the intention of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies while preventing greenhouse gas emissions shifting to other parts of the world.

The coalition noted three main pillars:

• Transparency: all member countries publishing an overview of their fossil fuel subsidies by COP29 in 2024;
• International agreements: identifying and addressing international barriers to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies; and
• National action: encouraging international dialogue to share knowledge, develop national strategies, and join action to minimize carbon leakage.

In the coalition’s joint statement, various international organizations including the IMF, OECD, WTO, and World Bank were asked to develop a comprehensive methodological framework to identify the scope of international fossil fuel subsidies and to develop guidance for national phase-out strategies.

On December 6, 2023, during COP28, EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius, as well as representatives from Germany, the Netherlands, and France, launched the Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains and pledged an initial EUR70 million (US$76 million) to the initiative.

The initiative aims to tackle global deforestation and reinforce the pledges set forth in the Glasgow Leader's Declaration on Forests and Land Use from COP26, with the goal of stopping and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030. It is also aligned with the EU's Global Gateway strategy, which aims to transition partner countries to sustainable, deforestation-free, and legal value chains.

The initiative was developed to support inclusive partnerships between the EU and partner countries, facilitate sustainable trade, and address deforestation. Through the initiative, the EU is slated to offer technical assistance and capacity-building assistance to partner countries on key issues, including traceability, geo-localization, and land-use mapping. The initiative is also planned to serve as a centralized platform to bolster coordination between public and private stakeholders in both the EU and partner countries.

A Team Europe Hub will be established under the Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems program to host information and coordinate further actions.

On December 4, 2023, Canada announced a pledge of CAD34 million (US$25 million) for the Special Climate Change Fund, hosted by the GEF.

The announcement was part of a joint statement released by Canada and the governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK during COP28. Canada’s pledge to the fund will support in accelerating climate change adaptation in SIDS and catalyzing technology transfer, innovation, and private sector engagement for adaptation.

On December 2, 2023, the EU institutions, the EIB, the EBRD, and the Member States that comprise Team Europe pledged EUR20 billion (US$21.8 billion) for clean energy partnerships with African partners.

The funding announcement listeed EUR3.4 billion (US$3.7 billion) in grants and covered the period from 2021-2027. The project, AEGEI, aims to produce over 50 Gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.

12 EU Member States contributed to the funding. No language regarding specific partner countries was included in the announcement.

On October 25-26, 2023, the EU hosted the Global Gateway Forum, which invited stakeholders from international businesses, partner countries, and CSOs.

The two-day conference aimed to increase visibility of the Global Gateway program, the EU's investment and ODA platform, which aims to strengthen Europe's ties with partner countries while addressing contemporary challenges like climate change or energy transition.

Over the course of the conference, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Uprilainen announced a variety of partnerships and funding, including:

• EUR634 million (US$669 million) for global health, including EUR500 million (US$528 million) for a partnership between the EIB, BMGF to support SMEs working on global health R&D and vaccine development, and EUR134 million (US$141 million) to support health product manufacturing in Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa;
• EUR500 million (EUR528 million) to launch a credit facility for the EU's Just Energy Transition Partnership with Vietnam, which will focus on decarbonization projects, and was accompanied by EUR1 billion (US$1.1 billion) in loans from the EIB, AFD, and KfW;
• EUR470 million (US$496 million) for Bangladesh, including an EUR395 million (US$418 million) loan from the EIB for solar and wing projects, and EUR70 million education, and combatting GBV;
• EUR146 million (US$154 million) from the EU and AFD for Tanzania to support the construction of a hydropower plant on the Kagera river;
• EUR72 million (US$76 million) for the 2023 EU - Kenya cooperation priorities, which included assistance for green energy transition, shoring up cybersecurity, combatting female genital cutting, and strengthening democratic structures; and
• EUR46 million (US$49 million) to support the foundation of a Regional Teacher Facility in Africa to support the realization of commitments made at the 2022 Transforming Education Summit, with an emphasis on foundational learning, capacity-building, and technical assistance for partner countries in Africa.

While the event resulted in a variety of high-level commitments, observers expressed concern at the mismatch between representation from partner countries, many of whom sent heads of government or state, and EU Member States, some of which either did not attend or were represented by lower-level officials.

On October 19, 2023, Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen pledged EUR780 million (US$827 million) in ODA loans and grants for Nigeria through the global Gateway program.

The funding was announced ahead of the 8^th Nigeria - EU strategic dialogue, which convened EU representatives and members of the new Nigerian government to discuss existing partnerships and new opportunities for cooperation. Key components of the support included:

• EUR116 million (US$123 million) in ODA financing agreements for global health, sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture, SRH and MNCH, energy access and renewable energy capacity, and education, all with a focus on supporting women and young people; and
• EUR600 million (US$636 million) in EIB loans for a green transportation project for inland shipping, with support from the AFD, support for SMEs, and renewable energy capacity.

On October 5, 2023, France pledged EUR1.6 billion (US$1.7 billion) to the GCF's 2024-2027 cycle during the GCF's second high-level replenishment conference in Bonn, Germany.

This is France's largest contribution since the creation of the GCF, making it the GCF's third-largest donor. 25 countries have pledged a total of US$9.33 billion, with additional pledges expected by COP28 in November 2023.

According to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France exceeded its climate finance target in 2022, allocating EUR7.6 billion (US$8 billion) to climate finance. This included EUR2.6 billion (US$2.8 billion) for climate change adaptation. Climate adaptation finance is targeted to reach US$6 billion annually by 2025.