Wake-up call for France as climate experts push for new action on emissions
France is falling behind on its climate promises as extreme weather claims lives, hits food supply chains and strains public budgets, the country's top climate advisory council warned on Thursday.
In its annual report, the High Council for the Climate (HCC) painted a bleak picture of France's fight to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Political instability and stop-start funding are holding back the changes needed to adapt to a fast-warming world, it said.
France's climate plan has 'stalled' this year, the HCC added, blaming a lack of clear leadership and poor coordination between government ministries.
'Is there still a pilot on this plane while the turbulence is getting worse?' the report asked. The HCC, created in 2018, was renewed for five years last year.
It comprises 12 independent experts and is chaired by Jean-François Soussana, an agronomist and the vice-president of France's national research institute for agriculture and the environment.
Europe is world's fastest-heating continent, report warns
Over the last 10 years, mainland France has warmed by 2.2°C. If the global average rises by 1.5°C, on the current trajectory that will means a rise of around 2°C for France.
Read more on RFI EnglishRead also:World leaders arrive in France for UN summit on ocean threatsEurope's heatwave dries fields and leaves farmers counting crop lossesCould France's hesitation derail the EU's 2040 emissions reduction target?
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