A court in Paris has found the French state guilty of failing to address the climate crisis and failing to deliver on its promises to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.
In what appears to be a historic verdict, the court found the state guilty of “disrespecting its commitments” aimed at combating global warming.
The lawsuit, called the ‘case of the century’, is being filed by four French environmental groups following a petition signed by 2.3 million people.
‘This is a historic victory for climate justice. “The decision not only takes into account what scientists say and what people want from French public policy, but it should also inspire people around the world to hold their governments accountable for climate change in their courts,” said Jean-François Julliard. the executive director, said Greenpeace France, one of the plaintiffs.
He said the ruling would be used to push the French state to take action against the climate crisis. “No more blah-blah,” he added.
Cécilia Rinaudo, the director of Notre Affaire à Tous (It’s Everyone’s Business), another plaintiff, said it was a “huge victory” for climate activists around the world.
‘This is a victory for all the people who are already having the devastating impact of the climate crisis that our leaders cannot tackle. The time has come for justice, “said Rinaudo.
‘This legal action has brought millions of people together in a common struggle: the struggle for our future. The judge’s ruling proves that France’s climate activity is no longer acceptable, but illegal. But the battle is not over yet. Recognition of the state’s action is only a first step towards the implementation of concrete and effective measures to combat climate change. ”
The court ruled that compensation for “ecological damage” is permissible, declaring that the state “should be held liable for part of this damage if it does not meet its obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.
It did not uphold a claim for symbolic compensation, saying that compensation should be made “in kind”, with damages awarded “only if the remedial action was impossible or inadequate”.
However, the court ruled that the applicants were entitled to compensation in kind for the “ecological damage caused by France’s failure to meet the targets it had set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It said it needed to be further investigated and gave the state two months to respond.
It awarded each organization a symbolic € 1 for ‘moral prejudice’, saying the state’s failure to meet its climate commitments was ‘detrimental to the collective interest’.
Wednesday’s ruling was described as ‘revolutionary’ by the four NGOs – including Greenpeace France and Oxfam France – who lodged the formal complaint with the French prime minister’s office in December 2018. When they received the inadequate response, they filed a lawsuit. filed. in March 2019.
The Paris Agreement, signed five years ago, aims to limit global warming to less than 2C above pre-industrial levels. Donald Trump pulled the US out of the deal in 2017, though Joe Biden plans to rejoin. Environmentalists say governments, including the French government, have failed to meet their obligations.
The French government has promised to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
NGOs say the state exceeds its carbon budgets and is not moving fast enough to renovate buildings to make them energy efficient or to develop renewable energy. They claim that it has a serious impact on the daily quality of life and health of people in France.
In a July report last year, the French High Court on Climate Change sharply criticized government policy. “Climate action is not the challenges and goals,” he said.
France’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 0.9% in 2018-19, when the annual decline needed to reach its target is 1.5% by 2025 and 3.2% thereafter.
In a written defense, the French government actively rejected the accusations and asked the court to dismiss any claim for compensation. It is argued that the state cannot be held responsible for climate change if it is not responsible for all global emissions.