As France battles unprecedented wildfires, Caroit urges collective global action on climate change

Delano D'Souza is pleased to welcome French Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Éléonore Caroit (France's Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad). She discusses France's response to an unprecedented heatwave and wildfire season through three interconnected lenses: operational crisis management, international solidarity, and climate governance. Caroit distinguishes between the immediate demands of emergency response and the longer term structural challenges posed by climate change, including adaptation, infrastructure resilience, and urban planning. While arguing that governments must continually strengthen preparedness and invest in adaptation, she maintains that no level of national capacity alone can adequately confront a crisis driven by global greenhouse gas emissions. In her view, effective domestic action must be matched by sustained international climate cooperation, making collective global engagement an essential component of both disaster response and long term climate resilience.