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French court rules France must do more on climate change

February 3, 2021

Judges hold the French state responsible for policy failures. The NGOs who brought the case have hailed decision as "a historic victory for the climate" and "for truth."

https://p.dw.com/p/3oqPI
Nuclear power plant Bugey Nahe Lyon at dusk with exhaust
Despite France's reliance on on nuclear power, greenhouse gas emissions are still risingImage: picture alliance/AP Photo/L. Cipriani

A Parisian administrative court ruled Wednesday that the French government must do more to combat climate change. 

The group of four non-governmental organizations who brought the case hailed the decision as a landmark ruling of global importance.

In its 38-page decision, the court recognized that there was a link between ecological damage and deficiencies by the state in following its own environmental goals.

The judges held the French state responsible for failures in "implementing public policies to allow it to achieve objectives it had set on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions."

The court set a two-month time limit for the government to decide on measures to repair the problem and stop it from getting worse.

France's Macron gives a speech at a climate conference in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron has been criticized for not moving faster on environment issues at homeImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Hartmann

They also decided that awarding money was not appropriate in this case. Instead the government should focus on fixing its failure to lower greenhouse gases. 

Government accepts verdict

Reacting to the ruling, government spokesman Gabriel Attal acknowledged it was true that not enough had been done in the past. At the same time, he said the current administration was working to address the issues.

France makes radical shift toward renewables

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been very vocal about his support for climate change action, pushed in December for boosting the European Union's 2030 targets. He called for reducing greenhouse gases by at least 55% compared with 1990 levels — up from the previous 40% target.

But at home, France is still missing the national targets that had previously been set under the Landmark 2015 Paris Agreement to curb climate change.

The government has also delayed most of its efforts until after 2020.

 

Historic victory for climate and truth

Claiming that until now France has denied the "insufficiency of its climate policies," the four environmental NGOs behind the case, including Oxfam France, Greenpeace France, the Nicolas Hulot Foundation and Notre Affaire a Tous (Our Shared Responsibility) hailed the decision as "a historic victory for the climate" and "for truth."

"For the first time, a French court has ruled that the state can be held responsible for its climate commitments," said Cecile Duflot, Executive Director of Oxfam France in a news conference following the decision.

The ruling served as "a timely reminder to all governments that actions speak louder than words," she continued.

The decision "goes beyond French borders,'' added Greenpeace France chief Jean-Francois Julliard. The ruling might also help activists who fight similar battles in other countries.

The NGOs also thanked the more than 2.3 million people who signed a petition launched in 2018 to support the court action, saying that the victory was theirs too.

mb/dj (AP, Reuters)