French elections: Political parties ignore climate change nightmare

To some French citizens, the result of the first round of elections french advance leaves a bitter taste. As climate defenders, it is a real nightmare. Whatever the final result, and the final composition of Parliament, climate and the environment have been absent from the election campaign.

How could it be otherwise when the decision to recall the current set of deputies was so sudden, with the figure of the extreme right being closer to power, than at any other time since World War II?

Climate change didn’t stop over the weekend. The parallel images of a far-right ‘brown wave’ taking over the French electoral mapwhile torrents of mud spread panic through Alpine cities in northern Italy, Austria and Switzerland were terrifying.

Every day, the planet warms a little more, and we lose a little more capital natural and ecosystems due to uncontrolled human activities. The environmental crisis does not let up while citizens wait for the polling stations to close.

A stalemate could lead to stagnation

There are still several scenarios on the table for France, but none are really comforting. An extreme right-wing government is a serious threat to democracy, civil peace and equalityand probably, will cause damage to the social fabric. So who knows where the downward spiral would end.

However, even a stagnation between three political parties will prevent meaningful political action and prevent fixing the problems that have led France to this situation, the causes of suffering and worries of French citizens.

In the best of cases, it would delay the regime’s imminent crisis for a few months. French politics is not designed for compromise and coalition. The system, as it is now, is fueled by clear confrontations, and the possibilities of addressing the failures of the current Constitution They are becoming scarcer every day.

None of the possible scenarios will prioritize the transition to a climate neutral carbon economy and respectful of nature, despite the enormous benefits it could bring, as long as the State plans it, creates the necessary conditions to meet its objectives, puts reliable money on the table and confianza genre so that private investors continue in that direction.

This is a problem for France, of course. The country may not be as large a direct emitter of greenhouse gases, but it is nonetheless the seventh world economic powercon huge indirect emissions. In fact, the French population consumes on average, every year, twice the country’s available resources.

Will the French crisis worsen?

Ending the current sustainable investment plans in France would mean the destruction of dozens of thousands of jobsthe loss of assets and infrastructure that will be necessary for the markets of tomorrow, which would mean a lasting recessiondestroying the social fabric a little more.

Furthermore, it would send a terrible message abroad: if France gives up trying to participate in the sustainable transition, why would its allies try? The current feeling of collective motivation in the ‘race towards cleanliness‘would be resentful if France resigned.

For Europe, a French collapse could escalate to a supranational level, creating the conditions for a blocking minority in the European Council against any Green Politics and social policy, threatening progress that we have observed in the last decade.

Stop now sustainable transition It is an enormous financial risk, which deepens inequalities, since the most vulnerable will be the ones who suffer the most from the consequences of climate change and a poorly planned transition.

It’s a very gloomy outlookbut it should lead to resignation, since every tenth of a degree Celsius of temperature increase It makes a difference, and every species that goes extinct matters. Climate and environmental protection cannot be put on the back burner, waiting for more favorable governance to emerge.

The temptation to give up When the context becomes so difficult it is strong and understandable, mental health can be at stake when the feeling of helplessness is so strong.

However, if you look at the big picture, the planet and humanity in a big way, Despair is only allowed for a brief moment. Then you have to go back to work and continue the fightbecause hope is the strongest bond that all humanity shares.

Become the change you want to see

Now more than ever, civil society actors must feel empowered to move forward and overcome the difficulties of some failed political leaders. Citizens, NGOs, unions, academics and business leaders can and they must step forward to drive positive change from the grassroots.

History is full of precedents successful popular mobilizations. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the suffragettes and the end of apartheid all came from civil society and private actors.

ADVERTISING

Equally important are the other levels of governance that private agents can rely on. The very concept of sustainable development was recognized by the UN in the 1970s, and it is known that cities and regions are on the front line to effectively implement the green transformation through its hiring and investments.

For climate and sustainability advocates, a global shift toward authoritarian government will be the dawn of a new erabut it is not necessary to have the fatal feeling that it is the end of all our hopes and mobilizationsas long as there is a collective effort to imagine what the next strategy to be implemented should be like.

Today, the motto ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ sounds more accurate than ever before.

Adeline Rochet es jefa de Programa en el Corporate Leader Group Europe del Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, CISL.

At Euronews, we believe that all opinions matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send us proposals and participate in the debate.

ADVERTISING