- France’s highest administrative court could penalise the government for failing to meet climate targets.
- The council had last year issued a warning to the government.
France’s highest administrative council, The Conseil d’Etat, has told the government to act against climate change and ensure that it meets commitments and greenhouse gas emissions targets or face potential fines.
The council last year gave the government three months to show it was enacting climate policies that will ensure it meets the target of reducing greenhouse gases by 40 per cent of the 1990 levels by 2030. However, the council says that the targets look unattainable unless the government takes swift measures. “The Conseil d’État, therefore, instructs the government to take additional measures between now and March 31, 2022, to hit the target,” the council said.
A spokesperson for the council said it would assess the government’s actions after the deadline and issue a fine if measures were not up to par. The case was initially brought to the court by the commune of Grande-Synthe in northern France, a town constructed in reclaimed land and prone to rising sea levels caused by climate change. The Conseil d’État can award damages.