France faces quandary over climate change

Environment Daily 1340, 29/11/02

The French government’s climate change commission told a conference this week that there was "no guarantee" France would meet its obligations under the Kyoto protocol. A starker message came from NGO Rac-F, which claims the measures in place under the existing climate strategy correspond to "less than 10% of the emission cuts required".

Launched at the start of 2000, the strategy was largely based on a comprehensive energy tax that has since been ditched (ED 20/01/00 http://www.environmentdaily.com/art...). A review of the strategy will form part of a work programme aimed at developing by next spring a wide-ranging five-year sustainable development strategy, prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said.

The work programme was launched yesterday at a high-profile ministerial meeting, and includes some 60 recommendations for initial action. Regarding climate change, these centre on technological innovation, public education and the further development of a voluntary industry agreement on climate change outlined in the summer (ED 22/07/02 http://www.environmentdaily.com/art...).

A new inter-ministerial commission chaired by Mr Raffarin is being set up to implement the strategy.

Follow-up : Environment ministry http://www.environnement.gouv.fr/, tel : +33 1 42 19 20 21 and briefing http://www.environnement.gouv.fr/ac.... Rac-F http://www.rac-f.org/, tel : +33 1 48 58 83 92 and report http://www.rac-f.org/article.php3?i....