Climate change: the economic world is calling upon the next president to set a (really) commensurate strategy with the Paris Agreement

The « Decarbonize Europe Manifesto » has been signed as of today by almost 80 leading companies’ CEOs and many smaller ones, professional associations and numerous French academics. It is calling upon the French presidential candidates, as well as the European States in general, to implement as soon as possible a strategy and an action plan consistent with the ambitions of the Paris Climate agreement in order “to achieve a level of greenhouse gas emissions close to zero by 2050 !”.

The signatories of the « Manifesto to decarbonize Europe » want to trigger the political momentum which will allow us to turn declarations of intent into action for the design of a sustainable economy.

Solicited by The Shift Project, a think tank focused on the energy transition, all signatories of the “Decarbonize Europe Manifesto” acknowledge the moral necessity and the historic opportunity of a European-wide fossil fuel phase-out.

They warn: “The Paris Climate Agreement urges Europe to completely reinvent its economy. Much – if not all – remains to be done.”

In elaborating a strong European strategy and action plan on climate change, leaders will be following the political tradition which led to the greatest accomplishments of the European construction: economic and monetary union, common market, single market…

The “Manifesto” grew from the absence of any ambitious French presidential programme, European or global policy, in regard to the Paris Agreement objective: to reach carbon neutrality (zero net greenhouse gas emissions) as soon as possible during the ongoing century.

The policies embracing the “Decarbonize Europe Manifesto” could be a driving force for further development and economic prosperity in an uncertain Europe.

Capitalising on the support gathered around the “Manifesto”, The Shift Project is publicly proposing the presidential candidates to make the following commitment:

“I commit, if I am elected president of the French Republic, to work with determination within the European Council in order for it to adopt a strategy and an action plan commensurate with the Paris Agreement,

capable of enabling the European Union to reach a level of net greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible by 2050,

so as to safeguard Europe against the challenges of climate change, of natural resources preservation and of energy independence, and to enable it to pioneer and lead the shift to a sustainable economy.”

• Matthieu Auzanneau, CEO, The Shift Project | matthieu.auzanneau@theshiftproject.org +33 (0) 6 80 91 94 29