"A feeling of helplessness": ZFE, Duplomb law, A69, black week for environmentalists
It's a dark week for environmentalists... On Wednesday, May 28, MPs voted to end low-emission zones (LEZs) . On the same day, the resumption of construction on the A69 , the Toulouse-Castres motorway, was authorized by the courts.
Not forgetting the arrival of the Duplomb law in the Assembly on Monday, finally rejected to pass more quickly in the joint committee and which notably foresees the big return of a neonicotinoid banned in France since 2018. A brutal change of direction in a few days on ecological issues.
"A sad week of anti-ecological demagogy debate," lamented Clément Beaune, High Commissioner for Planning, on Thursday, May 29, on X. The former Minister of Transport was a guest on Apolline Matin the following morning, where he did not mince his words.
"I especially found the public debate on ecology sad and extremely worrying," the official explained to RMC, denouncing "political alliances."
"We see LFI and the RN voting together against low-emission zones... And above all, telling a lot of lies. What struck me is that we're very much in a post-truth, Trumpist discourse on ecology," he continues.
The High Commissioner for Planning points out, in particular, false information about ZFEs, which prohibit access to several large cities for the most polluting vehicles, in order to improve air quality.
And Clément Beaune is not the only one to deplore this "sad" week: many young people and activists are calling it a "big step backward."
"It's a slight feeling of helplessness... frustration, rather," confirms Timothé. While he says he cares about the environment, he is disgusted by politics and what he considers the government's "fine words."
"They don't care about ecology. We know that in 50 years, it's almost certain we'll all be dead," he says. The problem for Océane is that many are in denial. At 24, she's afraid for her future children.
"My parents are a bit old school. When I talk to them about global warming, they say, 'It was this hot in my day too,'" she says. "I think the longer we continue like this, the worse it will be."
There's no question of giving up for Antonin, who wants to mobilize for ecology. "The important thing is to keep moving forward and keep fighting for what we believe in. In the end, it's still the citizens who have the final say," he enthusiastically assures.
Fighting back is what environmental activists, including Sandy Olivar Calvo, who works for Greenpeace, intend to do. "On the Duplomb law alone, in just a few days, more than 150,000 citizens have contacted their representatives to demonstrate their opposition to this law," she reveals. She assures us that demonstrations are planned in the coming weeks.
RMC
