• Global governance arrangements are under pressure from the climate action withdrawal of the Trump administration and, in many countries, from leaders’ fears of a growing domestic “greenlash”.
• The EU has adjusted its topline messaging in response, but most governments remain committed to driving the global green transition.
• Many countries around the world share the same goals as the EU and want to decarbonise their economies while creating jobs and moving up the value chain. However, in an interconnected world, like the EU, they all need partnerships to underpin their own decarbonisation.
• The EU and member states should heed partner countries’ requests for: greater trade openness to generate demand for low-carbon products made in the global south; share technology more generously; and establish stronger access to finance in pursuit of equitably shared green growth.
• These partnerships can contribute to alliances for global governance reform in order to futureproof the multilateral framework for climate action in an increasingly transactional world.