Rallies planned as French politicians demand 'real' climate law

Opposition to France’s “pseudo” climate bill is gaining steam ahead of its arrival in parliament on Monday – with hundreds of politicians demanding a rethink, and environmental groups planning a day of nationwide street marches on Sunday.

Nationwide rallies are planned in cities across France Sunday in opposition to the government's climate bill, which critics argue has been watered down. AFP - LOIC VENANCE

In a damning opinion piece Friday, 228 elected officials from the political left called for a “real climate law” to replace the government’s flagship climate and resilience bill, which seeks to lay a roadmap for France’s green energy transition.

“The National Assembly is being delivered a weakened bill, which will not allow us to reach our national emissions-reduction goals,” they wrote.

The draft law was adapted from proposals put forward by the Citizens' Climate Convention (CCC), a lottery of ordinary people convened to advise the government on its strategy to cut emissions by 40 percent by 2030. 

On a devant nous une mobilisation inédite : Citoyens, ONG, experts, professionnels et aujourd'hui + de 200 personnalités politiques. 💪
TOUS appellent à une #VraieLoiClimat ! C'est tellement beau et grave à la fois qu'il est impensable de rester insensible à cet appel. ⏰ https://t.co/tVA1dDOE1m

— William Aucant (@WilliamAucant) March 26, 2021

A cross-party committee of MPs already spent two weeks this month labouring over bill’s 69 articles, divided into themes including transport, housing, food, consumption and environmental justice.

Parliamentary debate of the text – along with the thousands of amendments tabled by MPs – has been limited to 45 hours.

"A piece of legislation that is so important to the future of the planet, our society and the country should be the subject of a true democratic debate and not the result of truncated and quickly concluded discussions,” the opinion piece said.

National day of action

Nationwide rallies are planned in cities across France Sunday, with signatories of the letter and members of the CCC urging French people to turn out in force.

While President Emmanuel Macron had promised the convention’s recommendations would be delivered to parliament “without filter”, the CCC says it’s unhappy with the way its work has been translated into law, arguing most of its ideas have been dumped.

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Although its mandate is technically over, those involved in the CCC – several of whom have since joined civil society groups or gone into politics – insist their work is unfinished. 

This week they issued an appeal for 67 million French citizens to sign a “climate oath” in the interests of the common good.

“I think people want to raise the ambition of the climate and resilience bill because they agree it doesn’t go far enough,” CCC member William Aucant told RFI, adding that many of his colleagues still believe in the convention’s original project.

“Now is the time to act because we are at the beginning of a crucial decade for the climate.”