The researcher, teacher, main author for the IPCC and president of the scientific council of the Foundation for Nature and Man (FNH), was the guest of “8:30 franceinfo”, Sunday May 28, 2023.
François Gemenne, researcher, teacher, specialist in environmental migrations, main author for the IPCC and president of the scientific council of the Foundation for Nature and Man (FNH), was the guest of “8h30 franceinfo”, Sunday May 28, 2023 Immigration, TotalEnergies, plastic pollution… He answered questions from Lorrain Sénéchal and Neila Latrous.
Immigration: “Almost all of the proposed measures already exist”
“Almost all of the proposed measures already exist”declared François Gemenne while Gérald Darmanin mentioned in particular the conditioning of visas, the modulation of development aid for the countries concerned, the implementation of consular passes and also said he was ready to lead discussions on the opening social benefits from five years of residence in France. “When we talk about conditioning visascontinued the researcher, we make people think that visas are obtained like that when in reality, it is very complicated to obtain a visa for France when you come from a country in the South.”
“The main thing is things that are not at all in tune with the current realities of immigration, in particular forced migration. We still reason in Franco-French terms when the response to this issue must be at least European. if not global.” For François Gemenne, the French discussions are only “political posturing in the hope of attracting additional voters for the European elections.”
Responses to immigration must be built within a framework “European”said Elisabeth Borne. “In terms of asylum and immigration, European policies are almost non-existent apart from the Dublin agreements which are denounced from all sides”, reacted François Gemenne. In the European Union, “today there are 27 asylum and immigration policies side by side, uncoordinated, and that’s the problem. If we want to regain some kind of sovereignty, we have to go through the European level.”
“Total’s climate strategy sends the climate into the wall and sends Total into the wall”
“Total’s climate strategy sends the climate into the wall and sends Total into the wall”estimated François Gemenne who was in front of the general assembly on Friday in Paris with activists who wanted to prevent it from being held.
“I don’t think general meetings should be blocked, shareholder democracy is important and shareholders must be able to participate and vote in conscience. But it is important that they are informed of the power they have with their shares It’s also important to make French women and men understand that this is where it’s at stake.”insisted François Gemenne, who explains “That elephant in the climate change room is the staggering levels of investment that continue to flow into fossil fuels. Until that investment is redirected to renewables, we won’t get there.”
Fuels: we need “real environmental taxation”
“We have to assume prices that increase on certain aspects such as air flights, certain types of journey. The challenge is to achieve a form of fairness in taxation”said François Gemenne. “Therefore, the price of certain goods must increase because it must reflect the environmental cost of these goods. However, care must be taken that these increases do not affect the most vulnerable groups. Hence the interest of have a real environmental tax and we are in its infancy.”
Plastic pollution: “We are addicted to plastic and we will become more and more so”
“We are addicted to plastic and will become more and more so as a whole series of countries in the South move up the development ladder and have plastic needs”estimated François Gemenne while a second session of negotiations will open Monday, May 29 at UNESCO, in Paris, with a view to the adoption of an International Treaty against plastic pollution (UN).
“It is important to have a global discussion on this subject which is a considerable pollution in particular for the oceans. The issue is not only the discharge but also the production. If you do not limit the production, you will be able to do whatever you want, it will end up in the environment.” For things to change “we must achieve forms of global governance”. To convince refractory countries, such as the United States and China, it is necessary “show them that they have an interest in it” and that is not a constraint.
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Find the entire “8:30 am franceinfo” of Sunday May 28, 2023: