G7 Environment Ministers Convene in Paris to Discuss Ocean Conservation and Biodiversity Funding

A two-day meeting of G7 nations on the environment begins in Paris on Thursday, with climate change omitted from the agenda to avoid a dispute with the United States. France 24 reported that the omission aims to preserve unity among the group. France’s ecology minister, Monique Barbut, leads the host nation's efforts, as her office emphasized focusing on less contentious issues.

"We chose not to address the climate issue head-on... because the United States' positions on this subject are well known," France's ecology ministry stated. President Donald Trump's administration has withdrawn the United States from global agreements on climate change since he returned to office.

The administration has also weakened environmental protections during that period. France, Italy, Canada, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom are sending their environment ministers to the G7 meeting. Washington will be represented by an official from the Office of International and Tribal Affairs at the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Attendees at the G7 meeting will discuss ocean conservation, according to Barbut's office. They will also address biodiversity funding and the transformation of dry areas into desert.

Barbut's ministry hopes to announce $800 million in funding for national parks in around 20 African countries, sources close to the matter told France 24. The G7 meeting takes place just days before more than 50 countries meet in Colombia for the first-ever global conference dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels.