This year we celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the first legally binding universal agreement on climate change.
An example of international cooperation and multilateralism, he highlighted with COP21 the need to act collectively in the interest of all for present and future generations. December 12, 2015 is an important date for French diplomacy.
On December 12, President Emmanuel Macron brought together the actors of the « One Planet Summit » by videoconference. Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery and Olivia Grégoire, Secretary of State for Social Economy, Solidarity and Responsibility, surrounded the Head of State
Meeting « Climate finance, carbon neutrality perspective 2050 ».
Sustainable finance is a priority in international climate action for Emmanuel Macron.
This conference provided an opportunity to take stock of the progress already made and to reflect on strengthening the contribution to ecological transition.
Convergence of standards and transparency of the climate impact of investments is central to the commitments of the Paris Agreement. The reorientation of financial flows has influenced the investments useful for the ecological transition.
Main initiatives supported by France
As part of the One Planet Summits, France presented 6 initiatives:
- The coalition relating to the implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force on climate related financial disclosures (TCFD)
- The network of market supervisors and regulators for sustainable finance (NGFS)
- The coalition of private investors « Climate Action 100+ »
- The « Net-Zero Asset Owners Alliance
- The « Finance in Common » coalition which brings together public development banks
- The « Subnational climate fund » initiative which develops public-private partnership methods.
In total, there are more than 300 public actors (regulators, supervisors, public banks) and more than $ 50 trillion in assets under management worldwide. This sum aims to gradually achieve an alignment of the economy on the 1.5 degree C trajectory of the Paris Agreement.
A summit for climate ambition followed, at the initiative of France, the UN and the United Kingdom (which will host COP26 in November 2021 in Glasgow).
The Summit of High Climate Ambitions
On December 12, Emmanuel Macron co-chaired a summit of high climate ambitions with Antonio Gutteres (UN) and Boris Johnson (GB). This virtual summit included a partnership with Italy and Chile.
Ministers Jean-Yves Le Drian (Europe and Foreign Affairs) and Barbara Pompili (Ecological Transition) shared this videoconference.
More than 75 countries from all continents discussed climate change, an international priority. They put forward new commitments to the Paris Agreement under pressure from the summit. Leaders had to react before it was too late to maintain the target of 2 degrees of maximum warming set by the Paris Agreement signed 5 years earlier. With the ever-accelerating climate degradation, the international community still has to work hard to keep the global temperature rise at 1.5 ° C.
The expected results
Committed countries (65% of global CO2 emissions and around 70% of the global economy) will have to achieve net zero emissions or carbon neutrality by early next year. Concrete actions and programs must support these commitments. They will prepare for the COP26 in Glasgow through enhanced national climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from countries, companies, sectors and cities. With this, a resilient future is looming. Emergency measures and concrete programs to overcome the climate crisis contribute to this.
« All of the large French companies making up the CAC 40 now recognize the TCFD recommendations as a benchmark. They are working to deepen their implementation. » This standard will be used by all CAC 40 companies from 2021.
The climate at the center of the Xi Jinping / Emmanuel Macron telephone exchange
Before this summit, Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with President Xi Jinping. On the menu: the Covid crisis, vaccines, nuclear power, aeronautics, innovation, space, agrifood and culture. The two nations discussed an agreement on the extension of the Beijing Appeal of November 2019.
At the last United Nations General Assembly, China announced that it was considering measures on carbon neutrality. On December 12, she presented them in order to achieve the targets set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. She hopes to provide the impetus to raise the ambition of the entire international community for COP26.
The French president supported the organization of the Kunming COP15 on the protection of biodiversity. The next « One Planet Summit » and the World Congress of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Marseille will contribute to this. « Europe and China must play a leading role with all of their partners. » « The year 2021 will be the year of renewed, more concrete and stronger international voluntarism in favor of climate action and the preservation of biodiversity, » he added.
Citizen’s Climate Convention
The President visited the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) on December 14, 2020, to discuss with the members of the Citizen’s Climate Convention. It was the third meeting since the start of the year.
A new text concerning the reform of the EESC (Economic, Social and Environmental Council) has just been released after more than 2 years of waiting. It takes into account the Yellow Vests, the increase in the carbon tax and the citizens’ climate convention.
What is the citizens’ convention for the climate?
The Citizen’s Convention for the Climate (CCC) is a French convention. It was created in October 2019 by the Economic, Social and Environmental Council at the request of Prime Minister Édouard Philippe. The CCC brings together 150 citizens drawn by lot from among the French population, and aims to « define the structuring measures to achieve, in a spirit of social justice, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% d ‘by 2030 compared to 1990 « .
At the end of the « Great national debate », Emmanuel Macron announced in April 2019, the resumption of a proposal made during the movement of yellow vests by the collective of citizens vests which brings together various activists and academics.
Outline of the 3rd citizens’ convention for the climate
The July 2020 Convention made 149 proposals. All are submitted to Parliament or to referendum with the exception of three. The ecological defense council, the economic recovery plan, the finance law for 2021, and a dedicated bill scheduled for 2021 will partially address them for the majority of them.
After the virtual meetings for the bill resulting from the proposals of the Citizen’s Convention for the Climate (CCC), the 150 members had to propose measures aimed at reducing France’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40% of by 2030 despite differences of opinion.
On December 14, Emmanuel Macron announced his intention of a referendum on the introduction of the defense of the environment in the first article of the Constitution. Before that, the text must be adopted in identical terms by the National Assembly and the Senate.
60th anniversary of the signing of the OECD convention
December 14 is also the date of the celebration of the signing of the convention on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
He visited the organization’s headquarters in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The President of the OECD, Angel Gurria welcomed him in the presence of Mr Pedro Sanchez, President of the Government of Spain, Mr Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ms Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France to the OECD, Ms. Muriel Pénicaud was also present.
He privileged in his speech:
“Science” and “international cooperation”, rather than “conspiracy” and “nationalist withdrawal”, to meet the challenges of the post-Covid-19 crisis.
« The demographic, technological and climatic crisis, that of inequalities, is accelerated by the pandemic », declared the Head of State during a ceremony to mark the 60 years of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in its headquarters in Paris.
“Faced with this, I believe in science, facts, independent expertise rather than conspiracy and manipulation of information and obscurantism,” he added. « I believe in free, chosen and intelligent cooperation rather than nationalist withdrawal or brutality. »
He also called for strengthening the role of the OECD, « a counter-example » in « a context where multilateralism is criticized for its inability to respond to major contemporary challenges ». This organization « produces results » with the « rigor » of its strategic orientations and the « inventiveness » of the advice it gives to its 37 member countries.
The importance of the difficult negotiations that it leads on the taxation of large digital companies, in particular American ones, were privileged. « A handful of digital companies have been making huge profits for several years without, most of the time, paying their fair share of taxes (…) This is increasingly unacceptable to our citizens », hoping that » these negotiations end « in mid-2021 ».
Angel Gurria assured of the organization’s determination to help countries meet together « the challenges ahead » which « are greater than ever ».
After this ceremony, Mr. Gurria, President of the OECD; Charles Michel, President of the European Council; Mrs Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, had lunch at the Elysee Palace.
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