Heads of state were invited to speak for three minutes, but French President Emmanuel Macron took the floor for a good 15: That's how long it took to detail France's priorities in the fight against climate change to his counterparts from around the world.
The president took advantage of his presence in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), on December 1 and 2, for the 28th World Climate Conference (COP28), to put forward some concrete proposals. Throughout the sequence of meetings of heads of state and government, the leaders have been making more announcements of voluntary commitments. However, they do not foretell the outcome of the negotiations, which have begun in parallel.
While Macron did not dwell on the exact terms he wished to see included in the final agreement to be adopted on December 12 concerning fossil fuels – one of the main stakes of this COP – he clearly called on developed countries to rapidly abandon these fuels. To this end, he reiterated that France had "a plan," embodied in its new energy roadmap, which calls for turning the page on oil by 2045 and on gas by 2050. The head of state urged other major emitting countries to follow this model of "planning and transparency."
While the NGOs of the Climate Action Network welcomed the speech, they regretted the timeline, which they say is "too late" for industrialized countries and "offers an unwelcome reprieve" from the need to phase out these energy sources responsible for climate change. Arnaud Gilles, climate and energy manager at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), added, "This timeline gives developing countries no horizon. We can't postpone the debate on their exit from oil and gas."
But for Macron, the urgent need is above all to make "a complete U-turn" on coal, and on Saturday he and other nations launched a new initiative designed to "accelerate equitable transitions." At a time when the most CO2-emitting fuel already receives virtually no public support, the main ambition is to put an end to private investment. "As I speak, the private sector benefits from the same interest rates whether it finances renewables, gas or coal. This is totally absurd," insisted the head of state.
In particular, the aim is to act through the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). "The OECD can tell investors that financing coal is terrible for the climate but also economically risky," explained Leo Roberts, an expert with the E3G think tank. "It can send a very strong message, which won't be binding but will be heard." The initiative is also intended to lower the cost of investment in renewables and to support governments in shutting down power plants early.
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