“We must accelerate at the same time in terms of ecological transition and the fight against poverty”

2023-12-29 07:00:05

The continuation of the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East after the Hamas terrorist attack and the bombings in Gaza must not make us deviate from our priorities: reducing our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, aim for carbon neutrality in 2050, save our biodiversity and fight against poverty and inequalities.

It is this doctrine that we apply internationally, through the Paris Pact for people and the planet and the One Planet summits. The keystone of this strategy is that we must accelerate at the same time in terms of ecological transition and the fight against poverty, because no country will agree to place its population in a social and economic impasse. to protect the planet.

This strategy is based on seven pillars:

1. The most advanced countries, which are also those which have emitted the most CO2 since the industrial revolution, must abandon fossil fuels. This objective is non-negotiable if we want to meet the objectives of the Paris agreement. Science sets the trajectory: we must exit coal in 2030, exit oil in 2045 and exit gas in 2050. In this category, the G7 countries have an eminent responsibility, but China is also concerned, because it is now the second emitting country historically and is in the G7 average in terms of CO2 emissions per capita.

2. Prioritize the threat of anthrax. Today, 2,000 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity will emit, alone, enough CO2 to push us above 1.5°C. While the International Energy Agency recommends withdrawing 92 GW/year, 500 gigawatts of additional capacity are in planning. Here again, the G7 has a responsibility, that of getting out of coal by 2030 (France will do so by 2027). Emerging countries also have a responsibility, because they are the largest consumers of coal. In these countries, we must accelerate the financing of renewable energies but also of nuclear energy, the role of which is key because it is an energy that is both controllable and carbon-free.

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3. Put private finance and trade at the service of the Paris agreement. The cost of investment must be higher in the future for a player entering the fossil fuel sector. We need a green interest rate and a brown interest rate. This also applies to trade: we need a climate clause in our trade agreements, because we cannot both impose greening on our industries and liberalize international trade in polluting products.

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