Caregivers, retirees, employees ... Affected like all French people by the coronavirus, the participants of the Citizen Climate Convention decided to make their contribution so that the health crisis is not coupled with a social and climate crisis. The Citizens' Convention was to finalize in early April its work to fight climate change in a spirit of social justice, before presenting it to the executive. The Covid-19 changed its agenda and its last session was postponed indefinitely.
In order not to miss the bandwagon, she held a special session on April 4 and 5 (a virtual meeting due to confinement) with around 110 participants and returned part of her copy a little early. On Friday, she sent 50 proposals to the executive, calling for the erection of "a different economic and societal model, more human and more resilient".
150 people drawn
These measures are not public but they go in the direction of investments towards “sectors of future respectful of the climate”, of a “relocation of the activities on strategic sectors” with as concern “our health and our well-being collective ”. "Everything is at a standstill" with confinement, notes Hugues-Olivier, a 60-year-old photographer and one of the 150 members of the Convention. When the health crisis is resolved, it will "start off on the right foot," he says.
With the economy at a standstill, greenhouse gas emissions decrease. However, the experience of previous crises, such as those of 2008, shows that they are likely to start again in the future. The decision to publish a contribution and to transmit unfinished and unvoted measures to the government, due to the lack of a final session, was not unanimous. For Sylvie, inactive, who lives in the suburbs of Nancy, "the priorities are elsewhere": "We will have no visibility, we risk losing all credibility", she fears.
Ambitious goals
Coming from all over France, of all ages and from all walks of life, the 150 citizens have been working for six months on measures to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 in a logic of social justice ". Emmanuel Macron wanted this new initiative in France not to repeat the error of a carbon tax deemed unfair, which had pushed the yellow vests on the roundabouts. It is inspired by an Irish experience which led to decriminalize abortion by referendum.
The French president promised in January that "strong decisions" would be made on the basis of the final proposals to fight global warming, some of which may be subject to a referendum. The advantage of the solutions devised by the 150 citizens? They can "adapt immediately" to relaunch employment, help people who find themselves suddenly "on the brink", without it being harmful to the environment, enthuses Hugues-Olivier.
Planet
Emmanuel Macron exchanges for the first time with the 150 French citizens of the Citizen's Climate Convention
Planet
Citizens drawn by lot to break the deadlock, a gamble already attempted elsewhere
- Covid 19
- Coronavirus
- Containment
- Society
- ecology