Veteran politician who steered Paris climate summit to successful conclusion is moving to head up the Constitutional Council
By Megan Darby
Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister who steered 195 countries to a UN climate deal in Paris, is moving on.
On Wednesday, the veteran politician confirmed rumours he would resign to head up the Constitutional Council.
“It is a house that I really liked , I think we did a good job of which France can be proud: I am thinking of the COP21, where we did useful things for the world,” he told TV channel iTélé.
Fabius will remain in his post as president of the UN climate talks until the November’s COP22 summit in Morocco.
“He is very committed and preparing intensively to play his role till the end,” France’s top climate diplomat Laurence Tubiana told Climate Home in a recent interview.
“We are working with Morocco, and I’m confident. It’s important to keep the momentum.”
One contender to replace Fabius at the Quai d’Orsay is Segolene Royal, who as environment minister led the “Paris action agenda”, engaging with businesses and cities on climate solutions.