He was one of the candidates in the presidential election of 1981. Supported by Commander Cousteau, this figure of ecology then advocated energy savings. And above all, Brice Lalonde promised the exit from nuclear power. On the evening of the results, he was credited with just under 4%.
Thirty years later, “Complément d’Enquête” was surprised to find this former Minister of the Environment (from 1991 to 1992)… at the Nuclear Festival (Stand up For Nuclear). The event was held in Paris in early October 2021 to promote the atom… as a response to global warming.
“Defend the planet, defend the power plants,” the placards proclaim. The message is as follows: “Nuclear is the future, because it emits very few greenhouse gases.” On the stage, facing a sparse audience, the former environmental activist said nothing else, before “to thank our predecessors for creating this enormous program…against which [il s’était] brawled, wrongly”.
The one who advocated energy savings is now pushing consumption
On energy savings too, he changed his mind. According to him, “the necessary decarbonization of the economy will require more energy.” Which also means more waste. And rising bills… Brice Lalonde has been hammering this message for a few years. But why encourage consumption?
The former minister now chairs “Equilibre des Energies”, an association founded in 2011 by Jean Bergougnoux, former CEO of EDF, with the aim of promoting electric heating. Brice Lalonde took over as head of this electricity lobby in 2018. So, on whose behalf is he speaking? In his name as an ecologist, or in the name of the companies that finance the association? Out of around fifty partners, the leading financial contributor to “Equilibre des Energies” is none other than… EDF, which provides 20% of the budget on its own.
Extract from “EDF: a giant under tension”, a document to see in “Complément d’Enquête” on January 27, 2022.
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