French demonstrators demand more action on climate change

<p>PARIS &mdash; Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Paris and other French cities on Sunday to call for more ambitious measures in the fight against climate change.</p>
<p>The nationwide protests come after the lower house of parliament this week approved a climate bill aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions that environment activists say doesn’t go far or fast enough.</p>
<p>“As it stands, the (proposed) law is a climatic and social failure,” said a group of climate campaigners, “Ensemble pour le climat” ("Together for climate”).</p>
<p>Greenpeace France denounced “the government’s refusal to take action for climate.”</p>
<p>Activists blame President Emmanuel Macron, who has been very vocal about his support for climate change action, for having “weakened” a set of measures initially proposed by a panel of 150 citizens who had worked for months on the issue.</p>
<p>The bill, which will now be debated in the Senate, includes a ban on domestic flights under two and half hours that can be done by train and measures to support renovation of high energy-consuming buildings and encourage greener cars.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, French newspaper Journal du Dimanche reported Sunday that a referendum to include the need to preserve the environment into the French Constitution, promised by Macron, won’t be able to take place.</p>
<p>The change requires a parliamentary vote. The National Assembly, where Macron has a majority, largely approved it in March. But no deal has been found in the Senate, where the conservative party holds a majority.</p>
<p>Macron’s office said the referendum idea “is not abandoned … the battle continues. The environment issue remains one of the priorities of the president." </p>
<p>About a third of France’s 100 billion-euro ($122 billion) rescue plan to help the economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic by next year will go to reducing emissions and protecting biodiversity, Macron’s office stressed.</p>
<p>Macron also pushed for beefing up the European Union’s 2030 targets to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 55% compared with 1990 levels — up from the previous 40% target. Last month, the EU has reached a tentative climate deal to put the 27-nation bloc on a path to being “climate neutral” by 2050.</p>