A promise on Paris agreement emerges as world 'wavers' on climate action

EU's new consensus sets out vision for European development policy, reinforcing the global goals, but critics say commitments do not go far enough

Major European countries have pledged to keep the Paris climate agreement on track amid "wavering" world commitment in a new development consensus agreed between the EU's member states and signed in Brussels on Wednesday.

"These are challenging times," said Neven Mimica, European commissioner for international cooperation and development. "The global commitment to the sustainable development goals - to climate action, to solidarity - this seems to be wavering globally. The significance of this new European consensus on development becomes much bigger than the sum of its parts because of this global questioning of climate action and even the sustainable development goals."