By a collective of politicians, scientists, climatologists, academics and economists. Among them, Jacques Attali and Maud Fontenoy in particular.
Two years after the signing of the Paris agreement, the world has failed to contain its greenhouse gas emissions and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels: greenhouse gas emissions have even risen and fossil fuels (coal, gas) continue to dominate all segments of the energy mix.
Despite the general awareness, political willingness and the rise of new technologies, the transition to a carbon-neutral world is taking too long in view of the climate emergency.
This difficulty in changing models is illustrated across the Rhine. Engaged in a costly and unproductive energy transition, Germany is at an impasse. Canada remains one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Coal and lignite continue to produce more than 40% of the country’s electricity: a German emits 80% more CO2 than a Frenchman. On the climate issue, Germany has lost all credibility.
France as a source of inspiration
This dark context should not, however, obscure the fact that an effective ecological transition is possible. As the least CO2-emitting country in the G7, France can use these results to inspire an alternative energy model.
To mobilize the international community, climate leadership must be embodied. France can do this because it is one of the few countries that has succeeded in efficiently decarbonizing its electricity. It has achieved this by orchestrating the complementarity between low-carbon production sources (nuclear and renewable energy) to detoxify from fossils. Today, 94% of its electricity is produced from low-carbon sources.
France is thus one of the few countries to have already achieved the greenhouse gas emission targets set by most European countries… by 2050.
Switzerland and Sweden have also adopted this model of electricity decarbonisation. They too have been able to make the most of nuclear-renewable complementarity to reduce the amount of CO2 produced by their electrical system.
These three countries can now consider using low-carbon electricity to develop new uses where fossil fuels continue to dominate.
France can be a source of inspiration for all countries that want a carbon-neutral society.
They make up the collective signatory:
Jacques Attali, Economist; Julien Aubert, LR MP; Yves Bamberger, Academician of Technology; François Marie Bréon, Climatologist; Catherine Césarsky, Senior Scientific Advisor; Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Nobel Prize in Physics; Maud Fontenoy, Navigator; Yves Bréchet, Academician of Science; Kirsty Gogan, Director of Energy for Humanity; François G