“The signing of this agreement is a coherent decision for France, which has always been among the ambitious countries for the climate”. Barbara Pompili set the tone this Friday at a press conference in Glasgow (Scotland).
On the last (official) day of COP26, the French Minister for the Ecological Transition announced that France had joined the coalition of countries pledging to put an end by the end of 2022 to the financing of projects abroad. fossil fuels without carbon capture techniques. “The success of the Paris agreement and the fight against climate change necessarily imply turning the page on fossil fuels,” added the Minister.
A crucial victory for NGOs
Last week, during the COP26 in Glasgow, some twenty countries including the United States, since joined by a few others including Germany, launched this coalition hailed as a first step in the right direction by climate NGOs. But the French activists had criticized the absence of France among the signatories, especially as Paris had been part since April of another coalition “Export Finance for Future” (E3F), which aims to put an end to a further horizon indefinite, to the public financing of projects involving fossil fuels for export.
“The French government is finally succumbing to diplomatic and civil society pressure. It’s a crucial victory after years of mobilizing against climate-destroying overseas fossil fuel subsidies. The devil is in the details, ”commented Anna-Lena Rebaud, from the NGO Friends of the Earth France. ” At last ! Added Armelle Le Comte, from Oxfam France. “We will remain vigilant on the full implementation of this commitment. She added.