Paris (AFP)
Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire calls for "a green revival" in the face of the Covid-19 crisis and recommends "accelerating the ecological transition", warning against the "temptation" of abandoning the fight against global warming.
In a small book published Tuesday in the collection "Crisis tracts" at Gallimard, he pronounces for "a fair and decarbonized economy in a sovereign Europe", by affirming that the crisis "offers a unique chance to redefine our own economic model, national and European ".
"The abandonment of policies to combat global warming will be one of the main temptations in the coming months," said the Minister of Economy, citing arguments that could go in this direction such as the fall in oil prices or the need to revive the economic machine.
"We have to do the exact opposite," says Bruno Le Maire. "It is up to us to accelerate the ecological transition to make our economy the first low-carbon economy on the planet."
"The economic recovery must be a green recovery," he said.
He believes that investments must go to sectors such as electric vehicles, the "renewal of our air fleet", the renovation of buildings and storage technologies.
"European states must not give in on the Green Deal," he wrote.
Bruno Le Maire also pronounces for "a protected economy", which "does not mean protectionism".
"Protection means carbon tax at European borders", but also "careful control of foreign investments in France (...) new European industrial policy and new competition rules" and "acceleration of fair taxation of multinationals and digital giants ", he explains.
But that "does not mean, on the other hand, the end of globalization", which "would be a historic regression" and "would impoverish France", according to the Minister of the Economy.
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