Climate scientists warn us that, when the temperature of the planet has increased by 1.5°, we will be in a
race of instability that will become uncontrollable. That is why the European Union and all its Member
States have signed the Paris Agreement, which commits them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions
by 45% by 2030.
Today, 50 million Europeans live in energy insecurity1. Hence the importance of putting in place fair public
policies that combine climate protection and social justice.
The results of the European elections showed the strong will of the Europeans to put the fight against
climate change and the loss of biodiversity at the heart of the present issues. However, the fine words
provided throughout Europe during the election campaign must turn into acts. Concrete facts are
expected, in particular by the youth who mobilized massively against the climatic chaos by demonstrating
for several months and substantially raising the participation in the European elections.
In concrete terms (as the experts demonstrate every day), it is necessary to invest massively and quickly
in the energy sobriety and, consequently, in the support of the professional changes that it will generate.
Multiple actions must be taken for these financing:
⁃ stop quickly investment in climaticidal activities,
⁃ create a European Climate and Biodiversity Bank,
⁃ propose European or national loans, for a set of works of the order of 2% of GDP over 30 years,
⁃ develop support budgets,
⁃ introduce an internal carbon tax and at the borders of the EU…
The Climate-Finance Pact relayed by other European NGOs has proposed a dual scheme with a loan
bank and a tax-supported intervention fund.
Other experts find it more realistic to allow Member States to go beyond the deficit of 2%, previously
limited by treaty to 3% of GDP.
We expect the next summit of 20-21 June that each Member State will position itself for one or other of
these alternatives.
What are the commitments and decisions that your government will make at European level to meet the
expectations of European youth and the Europeans as a whole in May?
Jean Jouzel
Vice President of GIEC Scientific Panel
from 2002 to 2015;
CEA Research Director Emeritus;
CESE Member;
Pacte Finance-Climat Honorary Chairman
Bruno Léchevin
ADEME CEO from 2013 to 2018;
Pacte Finance-Climat Executive Director.