Hanoi, December 12, 2025 – The Europe Today: Diplomats from France, Brazil, and the European Union (EU), alongside the United Nations (UN) and Vietnam’s climate authorities, on Thursday called for renewed global determination to address the accelerating climate crisis.
The remarks came during a press briefing in Hanoi marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement, where participants highlighted both progress achieved and the increasing climate risks faced by countries such as Vietnam, among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.
French Ambassador Olivier Brochet stressed the urgent need for stronger global action, recalling former President Jacques Chirac’s warning that “our house is burning,” which remains pertinent a decade after the Paris Agreement. He described climate change as a direct security threat, noting that France has experienced escalating storms, heatwaves, and wildfires. France has cut emissions by 30 percent since 1990, aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, and now generates 99 percent of its electricity from decarbonized sources.
Ambassador Brochet highlighted France’s combined approach of leadership and solidarity, citing a contribution of over US$8.6 billion in climate finance last year, with a third dedicated to adaptation projects. In Vietnam, France has committed over one billion euros for 2020–2030 to support energy transition, forest protection, and adaptation projects, including the Bac Ai pumped-storage facility, southern grid upgrades, and funding for Hanoi’s Metro Line 3. He emphasized that climate action and development must progress together and reaffirmed France and the EU’s continued support for implementing the Paris Agreement in Vietnam.
Brazil’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Marco Farani, highlighted outcomes from COP30 in Belém, which marked a shift toward implementing rather than renegotiating climate commitments. Brazil, a longstanding leader in global climate diplomacy, launched the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF) at COP30, securing $6.6 billion in pledges from countries including France and Norway. The fund links disbursements to satellite-monitored forest preservation and directs 20 percent of resources to indigenous communities. Other COP30 outcomes included the Global Climate Information Integrity Initiative and the Belém Declaration on Environmental Racism.
Despite geopolitical tensions and fluctuating commitments from major economies, Farani emphasized shared responsibility for the planet’s protection.
Vietnam’s Director General of the Department of Climate Change, Tăng Thế Cường, reiterated the country’s strong commitment to the Paris Agreement. He highlighted Vietnam’s national implementation plan, strengthened laws and policies, and integration of Paris Agreement requirements into domestic regulations. Cường also discussed a draft decree on carbon-credit exchange and offsetting, which will provide the legal framework for Vietnam’s participation in international carbon markets. The country is accelerating development of a domestic carbon market and updating its National Adaptation Plan to enhance resilience and protect vulnerable communities.
EU Ambassador Julien Guerrier noted that the world is entering an era of unprecedented climate shocks, citing 2024 as the hottest year on record and the severe destruction caused by typhoons in Southeast Asia. He underscored the Paris Agreement as proof of global cooperation, highlighting the EU’s 37 percent emissions reduction since 1990 and its continued role as the world’s largest climate-finance provider, contributing 31.7 billion euros last year. The EU co-leads Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership, committing 430 million euros to support renewable energy integration.
UN Resident Coordinator Pauline Tamesis warned that the world is approaching the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold, with Vietnam already experiencing daily climate impacts. She highlighted Vietnam’s net-zero pledge, Green Sprint initiative, and engagement in the JETP, encouraging a focus on bankable projects under the updated NDC 3.0 and emphasizing UN support in accessing major climate funds.
Closing the event, Ambassador Brochet observed that global momentum for low-carbon development is accelerating, driven by record clean-energy investment and falling renewable-energy costs. He emphasized that the Paris Agreement is effective because countries are honoring commitments and avoiding divisions between developed and developing economies, calling for stronger national action ahead of COP31 in Antalya.
