Read our fact sheet on the Reach Implementation [pdf]

There is now less than a month to Copenhagen. We want, and the world needs, a global deal in Copenhagen that is ambitious and fair. We want this because climate change is not just a planetary emergency but a human emergency. The poorest people are those who are most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. The test we face in December at Copenhagen is a test of our ability to rise to a challenge recognized to be a defining one for our generation.

Unchecked, climate change could lead to a 4 degree average rise in global temperature which poses huge consequences for foreign policy. It could mean 4 billion people would regularly suffer from severe water shortages in 2080. It could stimulate mass migration of a further 150 to 200 million people. It could accentuate areas of pre-existing conflict like in the Middle East where currently 5% of the world’s population is drawing on only 1% of the world’s water.

That is why we, the Foreign Ministers of the UK, Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Finland and Spain reaffirm our commitment to working towards a successful deal in Copenhagen that will limit global warming to a maximum of 2 degrees and provide for immediate action to combat global warming. The deal should also provide support to developing countries to help them cope with climate change. We will ensure that the European Union continues to lead the way in showing ambition, urging others to follow our approach. We will continue to engage personally to ensure climate change and that the challenges it poses are prioritized on the international stage and that we and the global community honour our responsibility to support countries that will be hardest hit by the effects of a changing climate.

source : the French version of this article was published in the “Libération” newspaper on 16 November.

France is strongly committed to acting on this challenge. Since the 70s, France has implemented its own national polices to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and increase its energy security. France has the 8th lowest rate of greenhouse gas emissions per capita (8.4 tCO2 per capita) in Europe and, after Sweden, the 2nd lowest rate of greenhouse gas emission per unit of GDP. This remarkable performance has been achieved through an energy mix largely based on nuclear energy and more than 10 % renewable energy, in particular biomass and hydropower, combined with proactive energy efficiency policies, such as, low carbon cars, high speed trains or waste to energy.

Since 2008, France has taken up the challenge to further “green” its economy with the aim of achieving a sustainable economic growth model compatible with an emission pathway that would limit global temperature increase to 2°C. To that end, France launched the so- called “Grenelle de l’Environnement”, a nationwide consultation process involving scientists, NGOS, policy-makers and other stakeholders, that resulted in a comprehensive strategy currently being transferred into laws and regulations.

France has also played a leading role, along with other member states, to craft bold and comprehensive European policies to address climate change. Under the French presidency in 2008, the European Union was the first regional entity to adopt an economy-wide regulation of greenhouse gas emissions for post 2012, when the Kyoto protocol will end. The 27 member states passed a series of legislation to reduce their overall greenhouse gas emissions by 20 % by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. Furthermore, pending an ambitious international agreement, the European Union would be ready to commit up to a 30% reduction by 2020.

Today, the European Union represents only 14 % of the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions while its share of the global GDP is 30%. It can only fight climate change efficiently if the major emitters join it and adopt enforceable national policies that result in “real-world” greenhouse gas emission reductions, taking into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities between developing and developed countries.

This Web site aims to provide information and facts on French national climate policies and French positions in the International negotiation process. It will be regularly updated in the run-up to Copenhagen and after to provide insights into the French contribution to the national and international debate on climate change.