BEIJING/PARIS, June 22. /Dunyo IA/. Global cooperation to tackle climate change will not stall because of the absence of “certain countries,” said Huang Runqiu, Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing Reuters.

“The multilateral process will not stop, or even slow down, because of the absence of individual countries,” minister said, describing the global low-carbon transition as “irreversible.”

His remarks came at a meeting hosted by China, the European Union and Canada ahead of the COP climate negotiations in November, which will take place without the United States after President Donald Trump withdrew the country from the Paris Agreement in January.

Huang Runqiu also argued the war around Iran and disruptions to global oil and gas supplies had strengthened the case for accelerating the shift toward clean energy.

“The energy crisis triggered by the war in Iran has made all parties further recognise that green and low-carbon development, guided by the response to climate change, helps coordinate energy transition and energy security,” he said.

Meanwhile, parts of Europe are facing severe heatwaves. In France, three people have died from heat-related health issues, according to local authorities.

“Météo-France” said 49 departments were under the highest red alert level, with temperatures in the city of Bordeaux expected to exceed 42 degrees Celsius.

French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist warned that several days of extreme heat were expected, with no clear timeline for when temperatures would ease.

Around 2,700 schools in France are set to close or adjust schedules due to the heat.

In Spain, the national weather agency “Aemet” issued a red alert for the Basque Country, where temperatures in the city of San Sebastián could reach 40 degrees Celsius – more than double the seasonal average for June 22.

“Aemet” spokesperson Rubén del Campo said temperatures in many regions were 5–10 degrees above normal, with some northern areas seeing even larger deviations.

It is worth noting that extreme heat across Europe last year broke temperature records and contributed to major wildfires that destroyed more than 400,000 hectares.