This time, President Emmanuel Macron didn't pretend to be astonished by the effects of climate change, as he did during his New Year's address on December 31, 2022, when he ruffled the feathers of scientists by asking, "Who could have predicted (...) the climate crisis?" On the contrary, at his press conference on Tuesday, January 16, the French president insisted on certain points. "Whatever efforts we make to reduce our emissions, to change the way we produce and consume (...), we will have to live with the consequences of climate disruption. It's already here, so we have to adapt," he replied to a question about flooding in northern France in fall 2023 and again earlier this year.
Despite this observation and his desire to begin a new chapter of his second term in office, Macron did not take the opportunity to launch a new act in his pledged "environmental planning." The issue has not been at the top of the agenda since the start of the new year, with the government reshuffle and controversies on the school system dominating the news. "I'm not going to announce a new environmental course today because I think we've made historic decisions and that they're the right ones," said Macron, in a reference to his speech on September 25, 2023, in which he outlined his "environmentalism à la française," a strategy designed to encourage French people to change their behavior with the help of subsidies.
At his press conference, the French leader promised that his new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who will continue to "pilot" the green transition, would address the issue, notably during his statement of government policy. Macron didn't propose any new ideas, recalling instead the financial efforts made in 2023 on the thermal renovation of building and financial aid to encourage switching to electric vehicles.
"There's no earth-shattering announcement (...) The priority over the next few months for [environmental] planning is to implement our plan," he concluded, also praising the 4.6% drop in greenhouse gas emissions over the first three quarters of 2023. The positive result was partly due to circumstantial effects, notably a mild winter and high energy prices. "In 2023, we set ourselves up for a technical battle: laws to accelerate nuclear power, renewables and green industry, massive increases in planned budgets," said David Amiel, an MP with Macron's Renaissance party. "2024 must be the year when everyone will be able to see the results."
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