Environmental NGOs call on new Prime Minister for an urgent “change of direction” on ecology
The appointment of Michel Barnier as Prime Minister on Thursday should be an opportunity to put “ecology at the heart of government action” and to reopen “urgent files” such as the climate change adaptation plan or the low carbon strategy, according to environmental NGOs.
The arrival at Matignon of Michel Barnier, Minister of the Environment from 1993 to 1955, “must turn the page on the mistakes of the Attal government, marked by a weakening of commitments in environmental matters”Future Generations responded in a press release, calling for a “change of direction”. “Since the dissolution of the National Assembly” and despite the urgency to act in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, “Ecology was the great absentee” debates, regrets Véronique Andrieux, general director of WWF France.
Several texts are pending, such as the multi-annual energy programming, the national low-carbon strategy, the revision of the national CAP strategic plan or the national climate change adaptation plan. In addition, ceiling letters intended to prepare the budget for 2025, which some media had seen, reported cuts of 1.5 billion euros for the green fund and one billion for the electrification of vehicles.
Greenpeace welcomes Mr Barnier “a sincere interest (…) for environmental issues and a concrete assessment of these subjects (Barnier law enshrining the polluter pays principle in law (…) establishment of the aid fund for communities to deal with natural disasters) »Future Generations recalls that as Minister of Agriculture (2007-2009) Mr. Barnier “was able to resist pressure, particularly from the FNSEA, during the Grenelle negotiations on pesticides”opening the way for NGOs in the discussions.
However, several of them express doubts about his willingness to act on the issue. “With Michel Barnier as Prime Minister, hopes of putting social and environmental justice at the top of the political agenda are slim.”judges Jean-François Julliard, general director of Greenpeace France. “Michel Barnier has not distinguished himself in recent years as an ardent defender of ecology, and there is a fear that he will not make the ecological transition a priority.”says Morgane Créach, director of the Climate Action Network.
