The role of the European Union in the global response to climate change was the focus of an event held to mark the publication of ‘EU Climate Diplomacy: Politics, Law and Negotiations’, hosted by the Transnational Law Institute on Monday 8 October. The book is co-edited by Stephen Minas, senior research fellow at the TLI and assistant professor at Peking University’s School of Transnational Law, and Vassilis Ntousas, policy advisor for international relations at the Foundation for European Progressive Studies.

The event featured a series of short interventions by: Francesca Manchi, Political Officer, European Commission Representation in the UK, who outlined the EU’s international climate work and Energy Union legislative package; Dr Christoph Schwarte, Executive Director of the Legal Response Initiative, who highlighted EU cooperation with developing countries in the UN climate negotiations; Dr Robert Falkner, Associate Professor in International Relations and Research Director, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, who discussed the challenges of climate action in the current geopolitical context; and Stephen Minas, who summarised the key findings of the book.

Following the presentations, the panelists fielded questions and comments from a diverse audience, on topics including the absence of US leadership under President Donald Trump, the power of the EU’s single market to define climate standards that are used globally, and the controversies of geo-engineering.

The event was held on the same day that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C. Speaking after the event, Stephen Minas commented that the exchanges had demonstrated terrific engagement with both the complexities of the climate challenge and the need for effective EU leadership.