To talk about ecology in my country I’m going to relate the first time I face this concept. When I was around 7 years old, I had a sensibilization course in school about the decomposing time of things. Data were alarming: I was 7 and chewing gum takes 5 years to decompose, from this moment I started to think about my environmental impact. In this case, the French government set up an effective action for the environment, in fact, from 2004, the Charter of the environment says that “education and formation to the environment” is a duty (art.8). But the French children gown-up and became more and more alert of the global warming issues while the French government take small steps forward comparing to ex children’s expectations.
That’s in this context that a French documentary called “Demain” starts to spread around the world, it was in 2015 and I was 18 years old. The movie starts with a terrifying observation about global warming, but it shows optimistic solutions find by people around the globe to save the planet in 5 fields: agriculture, energy, economy, education and governance. I think this film has made a lot of people aware of the ecology issues in France.
Later, in the summer of 2018, Nicolas Hulot, the French minister of solidarity and ecological transition, stepped down from his position. He said : “I don’t want to lie to myself anymore”; “Are the small steps enough? The answer is no.” According to him, the policy of small steps is not sufficient. In October 2018, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) published a shocking special report about the consequences of a +1,5°C temperature raised. These events led people to think more about the environment and wanting to move policies, that’s why the Walk For Climate gathered a lot of people. The 13th of October 2018’ one was even supported by Youtubers. Later, because the government didn’t react, a petition was made “The deal of the century” and signed by more than 2 million people (the most signed in France’s history). The goal was to attack the French government in justice because of its inaction about the environment! (It’s a hot case). After all this manifestation (+ yellow jacket) Emmanuel Macron, president of France, announced the creation of the citizen convention for climate (CCC) on the 25th of April 2019 with 150 citizens drawn by lot in France. During 7 meetings, they debated and defined actions to reach 40% less greenhouse gas from 2030 (comparing to 1990’s rates). They wrote 149 proposed legislation, the text has been summited to the depute and senator. They had an accord, and the new law must be approved this summer 2021.
I now hope that French policies about the environment are going to be in agreement with what French people think on this topic.

Links:

Demain, 2015, Cyril Dion et Melanie Laurent.

IPCC rapport 2018, https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-5c-approved-by-governments/

Pétition l’affaire du siècle, 2019 https://laffairedusiecle.net/petition/

CCC, site official https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/

Julie Reynaud