Environment: associations claim financial penalties against France
Activists from the Affair of the Century collective are preparing an action near Pont Marie, in Paris, on January 14, 2021. © THOMAS SAMSON / AFP
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3 mins
In October 2021, justice condemned the French State for climate inaction and gave it until December 31, 2022 to correct the situation.
Except that the deadline has expired, and the associations which had seized the judges under the banner of the "Case of the Century" believe that the account is really not there.
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More than a year after the
condemnation of the French State
to "
repair
" the consequences of
its shortcomings
in the fight against global warming, several environmental defense associations declare themselves ready to return to justice in 2023 to demand financial penalties against the state.
Indeed, France is struggling to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and to meet its commitments.
Over the first nine months of 2022, these emissions responsible for global warming have almost stagnated (-0.3%) compared to the same period of 2021, according to provisional data from Citepa, the body mandated to carry out the inventory. French broadcasts.
14 months after the 🇫🇷 was condemned for climate inaction.
@Elisabeth_Borne's @gouvernementfr is still not doing enough to end its climate inaction.
#LAAffaireDuSièclehttps://t.co/FfoJeLvszo pic.twitter.com/DZdw0TGOqK
- The case of the century (@laffairesdusiecl) December 20, 2022
A trend far from the decline necessary for the country to remain in the nails of its commitments.
Justine Ripoll, campaign manager at the NGO “Notre Affaire à tous”, denounces the lack of responsibility and will to propose ambitious policies to fight against climate inaction: “
We see that between October 2021 and December 2022, there have not been very strong climate measures that have been taken.
On the contrary, there are rather setbacks that have been made.
We have reopened fossil fuel supplies, we have not necessarily invested massively in renewables or in the thermal renovation of the building...
"
► To read also: Climate: with the "Case of the century", the NGOs decided to sue the State
And for her, the few efforts of the state took place in times of crisis, and not by conscious choice of the government.
“
If we look to 2030, the independent experts who have studied the subject say that the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are notably due to the crises.
The crisis linked to the pandemic or energy crises.
They are not linked to the fact that the State has given itself the means over the long term to continue and accelerate this reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
This is why the associations consider that we must continue to keep up the pressure before the courts to force the State to act, and to act very, very quickly
, ”she believes.
► To listen also: Guest France - "Case of the century" in court: "It's appealing to the government of judges"
Lack of ambition in the energy and agricultural sector
According to Justine Ripoll, the state's lack of ambition is particularly glaring in two sectors: energy and food.
“
The reaction to the problems of supply and the energy crisis was to reopen fossil supplies with coal-fired power stations, to reinvest in gas terminals.
There is not a euro in these emergency reactions that has been given to renewables
”, she is indignant about energy.
We are emerging from a phase of negotiation of the new common agricultural policy at European level, which is then rolled out at French level.
In the end, what did these negotiations lead to?
The word that came up the most was the status quo.
There has been very little progress, in environmental and climate matters, in the budget dedicated to the transition of farmers, and therefore we consider that it is the role of associations, and the role of courts and judges, to create checks and balances, when the executive, or the state, does not act as it should.
Justine Ripoll, campaign manager at the NGO "Notre Affaire à tous", on the agricultural sector
Lucile Gimberg
The dispute between the State and the associations was brought before the Paris administrative court in 2019 by four NGOs (Notre Affaire à Tous, Greenpeace, Oxfam, Foundation for Nature and Man), united under the banner "l' Deal of the century” and supported by a petition of more than 2.3 million citizens.
They denounced France's failure to respect its commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions more drastically.
In February 2021, the court ruled in their favor, declaring the State “
responsible
” for breaches of its commitments and the resulting “
ecological damage
”.
► To read also: Climate: day of action, the government responds to "The affair of the century"
(
And with
AFP)
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