In a new opinion published on Tuesday 23 February, the High Council for the Climate (HCC) deplores the "reduced scope" of many measures of the "Climate and Resilience" bill, resulting from the 146 proposals of the Citizen's Convention for the climate adopted by the executive.

From reducing advertising to banning domestic flights, the text includes several emblematic measures which, according to the High Council, lack ambition.

"A high proportion (of the measures of the bill) sees its scope reduced by a limited scope of application, even occasional, lengthened implementation deadlines or many conditions associated with their application", regrets the organization, composed of specialists and responsible for advising the executive on climate matters.

  • The rental ban on "thermal strainers"

In France, construction is the second sector emitting the most greenhouse gases, representing 20% ​​of total emissions, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition.

The bill promises to ban, from 2028, the rental of "thermal strainers", in other words, energy-intensive homes classified F and G on the energy performance diagnosis.

This decision has a limited scope, however, warns the HCC, since the measures "do not apply to owner-occupants" (ie 58% of the occupants of "thermal strainers" in 2018) and "do not provide for progressive extension to others. energy classes ".

The High Council calls for a "path of obligation of renovation" extending until 2050.

Supporting the analysis of the HCC, Anne Bringault, operations coordinator of the Climate Action Network, contacted by France 24, denounces "the lack of progress" of the bill on this aspect.

"It does not include the obligation to renovate individual houses less efficient than in classification A or B, proposed by the Citizens' Convention. It is based only on provisions that already existed in the Energy Transition Act of 2015, aimed at the eradication of 'thermal strainers', ”she says.

>> To read also: "Climate and Resilience Law: the French government accused of reducing its ambitions"

  • The prohibition of air flights under certain conditions

The executive also wants to ban air travel to move around the country if a train trip lasting less than 2 hours 30 is possible.

However, for the HCC, this limit is "much too low" in particular because it concerns only "eight routes which represented in 2019 only 10% of metropolitan air passenger traffic".

"This example shows once again that the government has undermined the measures proposed by the Citizens' Convention, which had established the limit at 4 am," adds Anne Bringault.

  • The ban on advertising limited to fossil fuels

The bill also provides for banning fossil fuel advertising as soon as the text comes into force.

A measure considered partial by the HCC.

"Article 4 aimed at regulating advertising only concerns fossil fuels and no longer largely a set of goods and services clearly incompatible with the transition, such as heavy and poorly aerodynamic vehicles (SUV, etc.) or certain food products ", we can read in his opinion.

However, last year, the Citizen's Climate Convention proposed strong restrictions on advertising of the most polluting products.

“The proposal has been reduced and is now limited to fossil fuels, which is very marginal,” says Anne Bringault.

"Limiting this measure to fossil fuels is really minimal. It is not exactly what we had requested", insists, for her part, Mélanie Blanchetot, member of the Citizens' Convention, contacted by France 24.

  • Not ambitious enough deadlines

Regretting "France's delay on its emissions trajectory", the HCC also invites "special attention" to "action implementation schedule".

Otherwise France would not be able to meet its objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990, and achieving carbon neutrality in 2050. The objective becomes all the more urgent as 'it has been enhanced.

In December, the leaders of the 27 pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to the 1990 level.

In this context, the High Council calls on the government to step up the pace: "Many measures of the bill provide for extended implementation deadlines (deadlines in 2024, 2025, 2030 ...)", can we read in its opinion .

However, for the HCC, "these deadlines are clearly incompatible with the expected pace of action against climate change".

"The problem is that the measures with the greatest impact of the Citizens' Convention are not taken up, are distorted, postponed or minimized", it is also said to the office of the deputy of Maine-et -Loire Matthieu Orphelin.

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scope ↪️The @hc_climat points to the "lack of ambition of the proposed reforms" in the # PJLClimatR Resilience


After the @lecese, the #CNTE, the @Conseil_Etat, the @ les150ccc , a new call to order to the government pic.twitter.com/UppSvX7Z5w

- Matthieu ORPHELIN (@M_Orphelin) February 23, 2021

And take the example of the legislation on nitrogen fertilizers, synthetic fertilizers and pollutants particularly used in intensive agriculture.

"The government plans to introduce a tax on nitrogen fertilizers if, for two consecutive years, the objectives of reducing nitrogen fertilizer consumption are not met and if the European Union does not take the initiative to tax polluters. This would mean that this tax would not see the light of day before 2025 or 2026 ", explains an employee of the deputy, contacted by France 24.

The former Marcheur thus proposes "to introduce this tax now so that the income from this royalty can increase support for farmers so that they develop agroecology".

This proposal could take the form of an amendment, among the fifteen that the deputy intends to table on this bill debated from March 8 in the National Assembly.

While waiting for the verbal jousting between deputies, the 150 citizens of the Climate Convention will meet on Friday for their last session intended to assess the executive's response to their proposals.

"It is true that the minimum union has been validated by the government, but I remain hopeful that we will find a real response to climate change," says Mélanie Blanchetot.

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