The President of the Republic has multiplied announcements to develop “climate justice” and take into account “losses and damage”.
Show that he has become a key player on the international climate scene: such was Emmanuel Macron’s ambition on Monday at COP27. In Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, he was alongside more than a hundred heads of state and government. The French president had not come alone or without a proposal and, having left Paris on Sunday evening with the French delegation made up of four ministers and secretaries of state, he had a busy schedule.
Emmanuel Macron first met eleven young French and African “committed to the climate”. During this meeting, he insisted on the need for “the United States and China are really there” in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and financial solidarity. According to him, Europe and France would be exemplary and the new European objective remarkable, with a planned reduction of 55% in greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 instead of the 40% planned.
Promoting biodiversity
This strengthening of mitigation will lead Europe and France to reduce their annual emissions by 4% per year instead of 2% in previous years. Pierre Cannet, WWF France Advocacy Director, is more circumspect: “The rate of installation of onshore wind turbines risks being divided by 3 if the announcements of the Head of State last February are confirmed. And the finance bill opens the door to new non-targeted rebates towards the most modest on fossil fuels”, he laments. Nevertheless, France encourages other countries to strengthen their ambitions in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has launched a new initiative to keep alive the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement: limiting warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century.
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In addition, Europe is committed to ensuring that the global funds devoted to adaptation will be doubled by 2025, to bring them to 40 billion dollars against 20 billion in 2019. In this context, France and the Europe fulfill their commitments. But “needs are estimated at 300 billion dollars per year by 2030”, added Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General. The latter also wants funding to be rebalanced between mitigation (techniques for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as the deployment of renewable energies) and adaptation to climate change (methods for combating its effects , such as reforestation or the creation of dykes).
The French head of state gave ways to mobilize more money for African and middle-income countries. In line with Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, he is considering an overhaul of international rules to change multilateral funding as early as spring 2023. This could lead countries to suspend debt repayments when they suffer a disaster, said Emmanuel Macron who wants to restore a little “climate justice”. But the position of the Head of State has been criticized by French NGOs who assure that he does not respond to “emergency”. “We have to see Bretton Woods again (international finance agreements, Editor’s note)»hammered Mia Mottley, who also does not tolerate that the big oil companies have released “200 billion dollars in profits in the last three months” and don’t expect to pay at least 10% “to a fund for loss and damage”.
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Emmanuel Macron wants to create with several countries “political and financial contracts” to enhance vital stores of carbon and biodiversity such as old-growth forests, mangroves and peatlands. These areas have a double benefit: they promote both biodiversity and carbon capture. To this end, France and Gabon will co-organize a forest summit in Libreville. Colombia, Philippines, United States or Rwanda are concerned.
In addition, the Head of State announced the development of new contracts to help countries develop renewable energies and get out of coal. Emmanuel Macron has specified an investment by France of one billion euros as part of a partnership for a long-term just transition in South Africa, announced last year in Glasgow. This 8.5 billion project, initiated by Germany, should help South Africa to get out of coal and opt for renewable energies and nuclear power. The French president wants equivalent projects for India, Senegal and Indonesia. This last contract should be detailed after COP27, during the next G20 in Bali.
Creation of a global early warning system for climate disasters
At the request of Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, and the World Meteorological Organization, 50 countries including France approved yesterday at COP27 the creation of an early warning system for climate disasters. The 8 billion Earthlings should have access in five years to this system to anticipate the occurrence of climatic disasters.
This $3.1 billion system will have four functions: disaster risk awareness; observations and forecasts; preparation and reaction; communication and anticipation of responses at the national level. It is based on the Crews system proposed by France before COP21, but which only covered a few countries.
SEE ALSO – COP27: “France will invest 1 billion euros” to help South Africa get out of coal, says Emmanuel Macron