It is a major issue for society, and even for civilisation. Climate change is underway and France is still doing too little to protect its population from the upheavals to come. How to draw a future where the rise in temperatures is limited, where agriculture, industry, transport have taken the right turn to avoid shortages, climate refugees, increased mortality, increased poverty? These questions did not occupy a central place in the presidential campaign, quite the contrary. According to data taken from the Barometer of the Affair of the Century and arrested on Monday, the climate has occupied on average only 3.6% of media time over the past two months. A microscopic figure in view of the challenge awaiting our future leaders.
Every week since the beginning of February, the Case of the Century (which brings together the Foundation for Nature and Man, Oxfam France, Greenpeace France and Notre affaires à tous) publishes its barometer on the place of climate issues in the countryside. The measurements are carried out by the Onclusive institute and calculate the “media noise” of the climate in 143 media, print media, radio and television. The theme of biodiversity, also crucial, has not been taken into account. NGOs often criticize candidates and political journalists for not talking about the climate enough, the figures confirm this. A few days before the first round of the presidential election, Release reveals the latest results.
Eleven minutes out of six hours of broadcast
Despite the low figures, the campaign did better at the end than at the beginning: mention of the climate rose from 2.7% to 4.1% between the beginning of February and the beginning of April. “The differences in visibility have narrowed between the themes as the election approaches, leaving in particular a more important place for the climate”, notes the Onclusive Institute in a note. For the last week measured, the climate has even passed before the subject of pensions. The publication on Monday of the last part of the sixth IPCC report may have something to do with it. Emmanuel Macron, with his President’s cap, made no public comment on this important work of the scientific community.
While the figures had collapsed at the end of February, a big spike was also recorded during the “climate weekend” in March, consisting of a large demonstration on Saturday 12 and a 100% climate debate organized by the Deal of the century the next day. The theme then jumped to almost 12%, “that is a multiplication by five” compared to the level of the previous weeks, notes the Affair of the century. That “proves that mobilizing civil society can have a direct impact in the media space”, adds the NGO alliance. On Monday, the TV show France in the face of war where the candidates have succeeded, also made a good place for climate and energy issues.
“Following this peak, climate issues remain at a higher level than before the weekend and are even constantly increasing. There are indeed regular peaks between 5% and 10% since mid-March”, specifies the Deal of the century. On the other hand, emissions Elysee 2022 did not have the same effect. In six hours of airtime in recent weeks, only eleven minutes were devoted to the climate, or 3%. NGOs hope that the “March for the future” organized on the eve of the first round “will be an opportunity to shine a new spotlight on the climate and social crisis”.