France kept climate change off G7 agenda to avoid clash with US

France wound up a meeting of G7 environment ministers on Friday defending its "pragmatic" decision to keep climate change off the agenda to avoid a clash

with the U.S.



U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed climate change as a hoax despite scientific evidence, and has withdrawn his country from several international climate bodies.



Keeping it off the formal agenda of the Paris-hosted meeting was "a more pragmatic approach" that avoided "the risk of certain partners walking from the negotiating table," French Environment Minister Monique Barbut told reporters.



"Nobody wanted a confrontation and everyone is relieved this G7 meeting happened in good conditions. Everybody was willing to find a positive outcome and work on widely shared issues."