Latest news with #ParisClimateConference
LeMonde
a day ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Macron's outburst on environmental issues
For four days, President Emmanuel Macron sought to restore his environmental credentials, launching a full-scale counteroffensive on diplomatic, media and political fronts. ON Tuesday, June 10, he vigorously defended the United Nations Ocean Conference, which France co-chaired in Nice with Costa Rica. On Saturday, in an interview with the regional daily press, he publicly rebuked both the government and Parliament, slamming the "enormous mistake" of those seeking to undermine "the priority given to climate in public debate," as key measures of the environmental transition are under attack. Since François Bayrou's appointment as prime minister, the president's tone had never been so forceful. It is in proportion to the possibility that Macron's initial ambitions might be reduced to almost nothing. Amid the many difficulties he faced toward the end of his term, Macron's predecessor, Socialist François Hollande, could at least point to the success of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21). By contrast, what we are witnessing today is the dismantling of the 2021 Climate and Resilience Law, with the rollback of the zero net land artificialization target, the elimination of low-emission zones and the loosening of environmental standards. Similarly, the temporary reintroduction of a neonicotinoid pesticide banned since 2020 and the early June announcement of the provisional suspension of one of the government's main programs to support household energy renovation (MaPrimeRénov') on the grounds that it allegedly attracted too much fraud, have fueled the impression of a major step backward. Avoiding a criminal waste of time Macron's determination to defend a path that runs counter to the climate skepticism of the far right and at odds with the anti-growth movement that is flourishing among some on the left is unmistakable. Neither accusations of never doing enough, nor the strong public backlash against the proposed carbon tax at the start of his first term (which led to the Yellow Vest protests), nor the current setbacks, seemed to have deterred him from pursuing what he called, in September 2023, "Ecologie à la française" or French-style ecology: science-driven, compatible with economic growth, innovative, competitive, able to boost the country's energy sovereignty and leaving no one behind. The sense of failure is no less real, however, as the promise, induced by environmental planning, to bring about a genuine change in lifestyles over the long term and with minimal social upheaval has not been kept. Budget reversals, the loss of an absolute majority in the Assemblée Nationale after his reelection in 2022 and the rise of the far right across France and Europe, amid farmers' protests and backlash against regulations, have derailed the ambitions set at the start of Macron's second five-year term (he can't run a third time). The president's outburst was not just an attempt to salvage his record two years before the end of his term. It is also a warning for the future. The many would-be successors – both on the right and among Macronists – who are unraveling his policies or letting them slide must pull themselves together, as threats to food, health, biodiversity, water, and the climate are accelerating and multiplying. Assuming they do wake up, the main challenge will not be to announce their intentions, but to build a consensus around a method to avoid backtracking and wasting time, which would be criminal. At this point, this is wishful thinking, given how divided and short-sighted France's political landscape appears to be.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
UN Ocean Conference: Macron shows enthusiasm as NGOs remain cautious
French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off the United Nations Ocean Conference with great fanfare on Monday, June 9. "Today, we are celebrating a victory," he said in his opening remarks. Firstly, despite the fragmented international context, he managed to rally support: Around 60 heads of state and government made the trip to Nice, far more than at the second edition of this UN summit in 2022. The event marks a major milestone for the Elysée. It is the largest such gathering in France since the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21). Addressing the roughly 100 international delegations in attendance, the president, who is trying to position himself as one of the "champions" of ocean protection, insisted: "Our effort is essential." While, unlike a COP, the United Nations Ocean Conference is not a forum for negotiating a formal agreement, the Elysée hoped that many commitments would be made by participating states throughout the week. It also expected that the discussions in Nice would help move forward some ongoing international negotiations, such as those concerning plastic pollution.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Experts flag threat of plastic pollution in oceans
Ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference scheduled from June 9 to 13 in Nice, France, Indian ocean experts have flagged the issue of plastic pollution in oceans along the Indian coastline. UNOC is the most ambitious environmental conference after the 2015 Paris Climate Conference which led to the Paris Agreement, French officials said in a briefing on Friday. 'Ten years after COP21 and the Paris Agreement, UNOC-3 represents a historic opportunity to establish a binding global framework, and the Nice Agreement will constitute a real international pact for the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean,' officials said. Plastic in oceans is among the biggest threats to marine life in India, a global survey involving marine scientists has said. A total of 58 ocean experts from 19 countries participated in the survey. 'It is alarming that around 5% of marine catch from coastal waters contains plastic waste', said Sunil Mohamed, Chair of the Sustainable Seafood Network of India and former principal scientist at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) who is one of three experts from India who participated in the survey. He called for strict measures to tackle the menace through coordinated and joint efforts of public and government agencies. 'There is inherent resilience in ocean ecosystems, and hence good fisheries management and environmental care could greatly help to restore the ecosystems.' 'The main problem is whatever ends up in our rivers and lakes or even in streams in the hilly regions will eventually come to the sea if the waste is not properly collected and disposed of. Aquatic life including fish mainly consume phyto plankton and other plankton. The degraded plastic is mistaken to be plankton and consumed by aquatic life which finally also ends up in the bodies of consumers who are consuming fish and other seafood,' said S Sabu, Associate Professor, Cochin University of Science and Technology, one of the other Indian experts who participated in the survey. 'This also applies to use of pesticides, industrial waste, fertilizers on land which will end up downstream. These carry pollutants and carcinogenic compounds. I highlighted these issues to the MSC,' he added. MSC is an international non-profit organisation, working with over 700 fisheries worldwide. The majority of the scientists were of the view that climate change is the greatest threat to ocean health and biodiversity as it causes ocean warming, sea level rise, and changes in ocean currents and weather patterns among many other impacts. Marine pollution, overfishing and changes to marine habitats also ranked highly in terms of impact, the survey revealed. 'Scientists from every single inhabited continent agree ocean biodiversity is under threat but there is still reason for optimism if we act now to save it for the future,' MSC said last week. The UNOC 3 conference, co-organised by France and Costa Rica, has three priorities. 'First, we want to advocate for the successful conclusion of multilateral processes related to the ocean, in terms of governance and Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreements. The high seas treaty cannot be a failure. If we do not seize the opportunity of UNOC-3, we risk wasting precious years for the sustainable management of the ocean. We're still far from having all the signatories to ratify BBNG throughout the world, but if we manage to get to 60 at the end of the year, that's achievable,' a French official said. BBNJ is a legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. India has already signed the BBNJ Treaty last year but not ratified it yet. 'India is proud to join the BBNJ Agreement, an important step towards ensuring that our oceans remain healthy and resilient,' external affairs minister S Jaishankar said in a post on X after signing the treaty at the United Nations headquarters in New York in September last year. UNOC's second priority is to must mobilize public and private funding to achieve SDG 14 (sustainable development goal 14 of the 17 such goals listed by the UN in 2015) which seeks to 'conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development' and support a sustainable blue economy. The third priority is to better disseminate oceanographic knowledge in order to inform global public policy with open access to data, officials said.
