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Climate Action 2017-2018

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POLICY<br />

HIGH AMBITIONS<br />

FOR FRANCE’S<br />

CLIMATE<br />

TRANSITION<br />

Nicolas Hulot,<br />

Minister for Ecological<br />

and Solidary Transition,<br />

France<br />

Credit: A. Bouissou, French Ministry for Ecological and Solidary Transition<br />

All over our planet, climate<br />

disruption is throwing lives into<br />

disarray – particularly among the<br />

poorest and most vulnerable communities.<br />

The frequency with which extreme climate<br />

events are occurring has provided a<br />

startling glimpse of what could become<br />

the norm in the 21st century.<br />

Although the situation is extremely<br />

worrying, it is by no means irredeemable;<br />

in fact, all the tools we need to reverse this<br />

trend are already at our disposal. While<br />

humanity has spent decades living within<br />

a system that threatens our survival as a<br />

species, we are also capable of building a<br />

society that is more moderate and more<br />

sustainable, founded on the principles of<br />

solidarity – inclusive cooperation. COP21<br />

showed that it is possible to achieve what<br />

many believed to be unattainable: bringing<br />

world leaders together to build the first<br />

global climate agreement, and setting<br />

objectives that will bind us together over<br />

the coming decades.<br />

Today, the challenge we face is greater<br />

than ever. As political leaders, we are the<br />

guardians of the Paris Agreement. It is our<br />

responsibility to do all that is within our<br />

power to uphold our commitments, by<br />

coordinating the many stakeholders who<br />

have already been mobilised to combat<br />

climate change. This is the purpose of<br />

the <strong>Climate</strong> Plan, unveiled by the French<br />

government in July <strong>2017</strong>. It aims to move<br />

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