• Climate Change

France Found Guilty of Climate Inaction

• climate change
• climate rights
• Environment Programme
• France
• litigation
• UN

Add another landmark environmental moment in Paris to the list: a French court ruled this week that the national government is guilty of failing to turn its climate promises into action. In its ruling, the court recognized the damage caused by climate change and held the French state responsible, France 24 reports.

Why this Matters: The landmark decision is the result of France’s first major climate lawsuit–but it won’t be the last.

• Animals

France Bans Big Cats, Orcas from Circuses and Marine Parks

• animal cruelty
• animal welfare
• Bears
• France
• Lions
• orcas
• tigers

by Amy Lupica, ODP Contributing Writer In a news conference on Tuesday, France’s Minister of Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili, announced the country will be banning the use of wild animals like lions, and tigers, and bears in circuses. The ban will also prohibit the import and breeding of dolphins and orcas in marine parks, as […]

• Climate Change

What Climate Change Means for France’s Famed Wine Regions

• climate change
• France
• viticulture
• wine
• winemaking

by Julia Fine, ODP Contributing Writer Climate change is transforming the taste of Burgundy wine grapes, National Geographic reported. According to a study published last year out of Climate of the Past, which examined almost 700 years of wine records from Beaune, France,  from 1354 until 1987, grapes were “on average picked from 28 September […]

• Politics

French Local Elections Characterized As A “Green Tsunami”

• climate change
• environment
• France
• green economy
• Green Party
• Macron

This past Sunday, France rode the green wave (or, as some of the French media has dubbed it, the green tsunami) as the country’s green party– Europe Ecologie Les Verts (EELV)– and its allies won big in major cities such as Lyon, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux.  And the mayor of Paris, a socialist, also won handily.

Why This Matters: The local election has already pushed Macron to act on environmental issues.

• Air

France to Introduce New Tax on Air Travel

• Air France
• air travel
• airline
• aviation
• flying
• France

Starting in 2020, France will begin to introduce a new “ecotax” on air travel. The new charge, costing approximately $2 to $20 for every flight departing the country, will be used to generate revenue for more environmentally-friendly modes of transportation, such as rail.  Why This Matters: While this tax probably won’t stop people from flying […]

• Politics

Green Wave Rising in Europe Fueled by Kidpower

• Belgium
• climate change
• CO2
• emissions
• France
• FridaysForFuture
• kids
• protests
• yellow vests

Yesterday, 30,000 school children again turned out for protests in three cities across Belgium after an open letter to the government from 3,450 Belgian scientists saying “the activists are absolutely right”.  Children’s climate rallies and protests are spreading across Europe — taking place in Germany and Switzerland too with the #FridaysForFuture, according to the BBC.  There was even a sit-in at the Scottish Parliament.