Climate, a landmark judgment in France: the country condemned to “compensate for non-compliance with carbon dioxide reduction commitments”

Not only “responsible“From the lack of commitment in the fight against climate change, but now it will also have to”do everythingto treat it. It is a landmark ruling of the Administrative Court of Paris against the French state, which was obliged on October 14 to adopt “All necessary measures“To repair the environmental damage it has caused, by December 31, 2022 Illegal overshooting of carbon budgets Between 2015 and 2018. For a crime, last February, the first historical verdict of its commission had already arrived, for which the Elysee was convicted of committing it “climatic inertia“.This statement puts an end to the difficult legal battle that began in 2019, when it was under acronym.”case of the centuryEnvironmental organizations Notre Affaire à Tous, Nicolas Hulot Foundation, Greenpeace France and Oxfam France They have sued the French administration to fix its flaws In the fight against global warming.

At the center of the dispute are France’s climate-changing production policies, which it had promulgated in the contested period 15 million tons of excess greenhouse gases Despite the commitments made at the 2015 Paris Conference and with the 2019 Energy Climate Act: Eliminate coal by 2050 NS Reduce energy production from fossil sources by 40% By 2030. By pointing the finger at this behavior, in 2018, the four major associations gathered 2.3 million signatures As part of a petition entitled “L’affaire du siècle“, The state of the century, the current administration has appealed to the president Emmanuel Macron To do more to reduce the release of carbon dioxide. Not satisfied with the executive’s response, the following year NGOs started one lawsuit in the capital’s administrative court, which culminated in February with a ruling that recognized the Trans-Alpine state responsible for “climatic inertiaHe was sentenced to pay A symbolic fine of one euro. Now the final decision, obligating authorities to remove the amount of greenhouse gases emitted at that time from the 2022 carbon budget and to double the emissions reductions expected in the next 12 months.

Greenpeace commented that “this unprecedented ruling obliges the current government not only to intervene but also the future tenant of the Elysee, given that in April 2022 the new President of the Republic will be elected,” explaining that “there is now” 14 months to recover The delay has accumulated in three years.” “This victory is simply historic and represents one climate justice educator: It is the result of the collective efforts and incredible mobilization of more than 2.3 million people who responded to our call”, concluded the NGO. Echoed by the Director of Notre Affaire à Tous, Cecilia Reno, under which it is “basic jurisprudence” that may also require other countries in the future to “demonstrate the effectiveness of their climate policy and respect for the commitments made”.