Environment/Social Ecological transition and the fight against precariousness can go hand in hand, say NGOs


G7 summit, agreement on the European climate package, new National Assembly, bill on purchasing power… Despite the arrival of summer, the coming weeks promise to be politically eventful for the French government.

Faced with these deadlines, several NGOs recall that it is possible to combine the climate emergency and the fight against poverty, aggravated in recent years by the Covid crisis and, more recently, the energy crisis linked to the war in Ukraine.

“People who are in misery cannot accept punitive measures or measures from which they do not benefit”, summarizes Anne Bringault, program coordinator for the Réseau Action Climat, who organized a press conference on Tuesday with WWF, Care France, the Fondation for Nature and Man and Catholic Relief Services.

Renewable energies to fight against energy poverty

The NGOs assure that it is possible that the ecological transition promotes purchasing power, in particular thanks to renewable energies. “Between 2021 and 2022, renewable energies brought in 14 billion euros for France, less than what was estimated at the start. It is an annuity which benefits all French people and which lowers prices”, assures Jean-Baptiste Lebrun, coordinator of the team and of the actions of the CLER-Réseau for the energy transition.

“Additional resources, in particular human resources”, must however be allocated to renewable energies to allow their progress. If renewable energies progressed in 2021 in France to reach 19.3% of gross final energy consumption, this is however far from the objective of 33% targeted by 2030…

Jean-Baptiste Lebrun also believes that other targeted measures, such as switching off billboards, must be taken in the face of the energy emergency. “Because it is potentially gas that we will run out of next winter,” he underlines.

In terms of energy, the Réseau Action Climat and its partners are also calling for an ambitious policy of global and efficient renovation of buildings, housing and others, and not for “small renovation gestures, inefficient to reduce energy consumption and energy bills. “.

Transport, food… Create “conditions of acceptability of the ecological transition”

Jean Merckaert, Advocacy Director of Secours Catholique, for his part, wishes to underline the galloping inflation which the French already in precariousness have been facing for several months. “Pasta has increased by 15%, oil by 10%, and prices have risen even more in discount chains,” he lamented at a press conference. For these people in a precarious situation, it is necessary, according to him, “to say stop to specific and sectoral measures, such as energy or food checks”, and to propose “permanent measures”. Otherwise it will be complicated according to Jean Merckaert to create “conditions of acceptability of the ecological transition”.

Amandine Lebreton, Director of Foresight Advocacy at the Foundation for Nature and Man, explains that this fight against inflation can go hand in hand with the ecological emergency, particularly in the field of collective catering and school canteens. , hit by rising prices.

“Disadvantaged children eat fewer vegetables and more meat,” she notes. According to her, the future law on purchasing power should incorporate this, by “proposing an emergency budget of 20 cents per meal to support the purchase of organic products”, but also a less meaty diet. A way to help both the poorest while supporting a virtuous agricultural sector for the environment but also in crisis.

Finally, the Climate Action Network notes that it is also urgent to act in terms of transport. “Nine million people are in insecurity, in particular because of the rise in fuel prices”, underlines Amandine Lebreton. The NGOs thus believe that it will be necessary to “make the sustainable mobility package payable by employers compulsory to encourage commuting without a car”, but also to offer public transport subscription formulas for the most precarious.



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