Citizen's Climate Convention: the moment of truth for Emmanuel Macron

After the beautiful speeches, make way for acts. At least that's what the 150 members of the Citizen Climate Convention hope for, who, after having worked for nine months, made their proposals on Sunday, June 21, to reduce greenhouse gases by 40% in France. by 2030, all for the sake of social justice.

Emmanuel Macron, who will receive them at the Élysée Palace on June 29, has not stopped repeating, since the European elections in spring 2019, that Act II of his five-year term would be marked by an ecological shift. Since then, the Covid-19 health crisis has provoked an increasing number of calls for a more environmentally-friendly "next world". And the President of the Republic himself subscribed to it, affirming again, on June 14, that his first priority was to "rebuild a strong, ecological, sovereign and united economy".

>> Read: The Citizens' Convention wants a referendum to include climate in the Constitution

By favoring the parliamentary route for most of their proposals, the 150 citizens of the Climate Convention intend to push the political class to take responsibility. Thus, 147 of their 149 proposals will have to be decided by the executive and by Parliament.

Vote # referendum 🗳️

With the objective relating to ecocide, two other proposals for revision of the Constitution were submitted to referendum by the members of the #ConventionCitoyenne pour le #climat 👥🌍✅https: //t.co/9558XDwVYY

"It’s up to politicians to have the courage to carry our measures"

"We want the referendum to be used for the general general rules. On the other hand, for precise measures, it is up to politicians to have the courage to carry them. Our role was to propose. Now the decision is in their hands and they will have to assume it ", explains Grégoire Fraty, one of the 150 citizens of the Convention, contacted by France 24.

For the members of the Convention, it is now up to Emmanuel Macron, the government and parliamentarians to play cards on the table so that the ecological shift really takes place.

Initial reactions have been quite positive. The Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Élisabeth Borne, who received the proposals on behalf of the executive, welcomed their "ambition". "The President of the Republic (is preparing) an economic, ecological and united reconstruction. Your work will be at the heart of the project," she launched them, assuring that there would be "no taboos".

>> Report: At the Climate Convention, citizens between excitement and skepticism

And 265 national and European parliamentarians from the majority published, Monday, June 22, a column in Le Monde saying they wanted to go "even further and even faster to act in the face of the ecological emergency".

Words that will undoubtedly inspire the 150 citizens of the Convention, but which nevertheless have something to surprise at the sight of the list of signatories. Thus, the deputies Aurore Bergé, Marie Lebec, Bruno Bonnell, Benjamin Griveaux or Jean-Baptiste Moreau, to name a few, are better known for their liberal positions than for their attachment to the environment. Especially since the current context, where there is much talk of economic recovery after the health crisis, does not necessarily lend itself to the acceptance by the government of new ecological standards.

"Make different policies"

"The president has promised more ecology, so it is in the interest of the majority to bring the proposals of the Citizen Convention for the climate. But that effectively means making policies different from what has been implemented over the past three years, "said former member of La République en Marche Matthieu Orphelin, now co-chair of the Ecology, Democracy, Solidarity group, contacted by France 24.

Among the measures proposed by the Citizen's Climate Convention is in particular a strong framework for advertising, with a ban on signs in outdoor public space and advertising for products with a high carbon footprint - such as large SUV vehicles. However, Matthieu Orphelin had rightly put this subject on the table during the laws on mobility and the circular economy, but the government was not in favor of it.

Regulate #pub contrary to #climate? I had raised this subject in the # mobility & # circular economy laws, the government was not in favor. So much the better if the govt evolves on this subject! Let's work together @Elisabeth_Borne @brunepoirson, we have a PPL ready. https://t.co/qmC4IK5JYw

Regulate #pub contrary to #climate? I had raised this subject in the # mobility & # circular economy laws, the government was not in favor. So much the better if the govt evolves on this subject! Let's work together @Elisabeth_Borne @brunepoirson, we have a PPL ready. https://t.co/qmC4IK5JYw

Sunday, Élisabeth Borne showed her own evolution on the subject. "I am in favor of further regulating advertising messages when they promote products that go against our commitments to the climate," she said in the Journal du Dimanche.

"So much the better if the minister changes her speech, it shows that the Citizens' Convention has been used for something, applauds Matthieu Orphelin. Now, I'm waiting to see what Emmanuel Macron will say on June 29: will he assume , to decide, to concretize this ecological shift towards a new model of society? A half-answer would be for many citizens incomprehensible. "

A sentiment shared by Grégoire Fraty, who believes that the government "would shoot himself in the foot if he blocked in the next step". To ensure that their proposals are not forgotten, the latter and other members of the Citizens Climate Convention have created an association, "Les 150", whose objective is to monitor debates in Parliament.

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