France
Security Council
Global Warming
Cynthia Jin
Highland Park High School
“Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources.”
—UN Millenium Development Goal #7
On April 17 th
, 2007, the United Nations Security Council addressed Global
Warming for the first time, under the chairmanship of British Foreign Secretary,
Margaret Beckett. The debate acknowledged both the disastrous implications of climate change and the vested concern of underdeveloped island states.
1
France salutes this first step for the Council. Despite the arguments of some developing states, the Security Council remains responsible for maintaining peace and security around the world, which cannot be accomplished without addressing and attempting to ameliorate the chaotic effects of Global Warming. Climate change directly relates to agricultural performance, a drop in which increases competition for food, one of the most fundamental causes of violence. Furthermore, natural disasters and land loss in coastal areas, especially of island countries, both lead to internal displacement and a growing number of refugees, who usually have a very limited number of resources and are susceptible to violence and discord. In underdeveloped countries lacking infrastructure and order, the outcome will be disastrous. Such severe prospects affect the
1 “ Security Council Holds First-Ever Debate on Impact of Climate Change On Peace, Security,
Hearing Over 50 Speakers.” New York: Department of Public Information: News and Media
Division. Security Council 5663 rd Meeting. April 17, 2007.
<http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sc9000.doc.htm>.

peace and security of the world and the mitigating of it thus falls under the Council’s responsibility, especially in light of the UN Millenium Development Goals, all of which would be threatened if the destruction of the environment persists.
Like most other countries in the world, France has also directly suffered the effects of Global Warming. Since 1950, the average temperature in France has increased by 1

C, 40% higher than the same change globally. Experts predict hotter summers than that of 2003, when the heat contributed to the death of over 15,000 French residents. On
France’s south-west Atlantic coast, beaches have eroded as much as 15 meters in a mere
5 years, and some 60 meters since 1957.
2
In response, France has taken a series of steps in the fight against Global
Warming. Both its former and incumbent presidents, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, have committed the country to environmental consciousness.
3
Historically a supporter of the Kyoto Protocol, France is one of few developed countries to actually meet its Kyoto commitments.
4
In March, 2005, France amended the Preamble to its Constitution, adding a reference to its Environmental Charter at the top of its priorities, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the environment during economic development. Furthermore, the Multiyear Sectorial Estimates Act of July, 2005 specified environmental goals, such as combating the increase in greenhouse gases. Furthermore, an annually renewed
Climate Plan measures relevant data in various sectors of France’s economy and aims to save 54 million tons of CO
2
every year by 2010.
5
Just this year, the Center for Global
Development reported that France has seen a significant decline in greenhouse emissions
2 Julio Godoy, “Global Warming: France Feels the Heat.” Common Dreams News Center. Inter
Press Service. July 18, 2005.
<http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0718-04.htm>
3 “Sarkozy Urges Action on Global Warming”. Terra Daily . May 06, 2007.
< http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Sarkozy_Urges_Action_On_Global_Warming_999.html>
4 Jacques Chirac. “Going Our Own Way Will Not Solve the Problem…” The Independent . The
French Embassy to the United Kingdom. July 13, 2006.
<http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/G8-summit.html#sommaire_3>
5 Republic of France Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. “France and the Fight Against
Global Warming” France Diplomatie. October 1, 2007.
< http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france-priorities_1/environment-sustainabledevelopment_1097/environmental-diplomacy_4155/climate_4596/france-and-the-fight-againstglobal-warming_7440.html>

over the past decade and that its gas taxes, designed to serve as a deterrent from driving vehicles that release greenhouse gases, rank high in the world.
6
Most recently, on October 25 th
, 2007, President Sarkozy publicized his plan for sustainable energy development, which includes a 2010 ban on incandescent light bulbs and single-pane windows 7 , an investment program for energy-efficient buildings and automobiles, environment-friendly changes to the rail system, as well as new fiscal policy against vehicles that release pollutants.
8 This plan, formulated as a result of a four-month forum on environmental protection policy, will be voted on by the French legislature in
2008.
At the same appearance, the President reasserted France’s belief that carbon taxes targeting fossil fuel would effectively deter individuals and organizations involved in greenhouse emissions from further polluting the environment. It would place alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal on a more competitive footing, encouraging sustainability in industry as well as every-day life, which France has already begun to do through its high gasoline tax. This is not without negative repercussions, however, as countries that up their production costs face unfair economic competition from those that have ignored the global drive for environmental sustainability. An involved member of the European Union, France has urged Europe to consider placing economic restrictions on those producers who do not respect the Kyoto Protocol in order to protect the European Union from suffering significant economic losses as a result of environmental awareness.
9
Apart from carbon taxes, France has also been in favor of emissions trading. It has actively participated in the European Commission (EC) and is a member of the European
6 Center for Global Development, “Commitment to Development 2007: France”. 2007.
< http://www.cgdev.org/section/initiatives/_active/cdi/_country/france/>
7 James Mackenzie, “Sarkozy Pledges Action on Global Warming”, The Boston Globe, Reuters,
October 26 th , 2007.
<http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2007/10/26/sarkozy_pledges_action_on_global_wa rming/>
8 Eleanor Beardsley, “Sarkozy Plans to Put France in Environmental Lead”, National Public
Radio, October 26, 2007.
< http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15673585>
9 "Climate change: Sarkozy backs carbon tax, EU levy on non-Kyoto imports”. Agence France-
Presse. October 25, 2007.
<http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gx9Wyuo7XJiydxsqseJmVdX3-MoQ>

Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which remains the largest structure of its type in the world
10
. France last proposed its national emissions trading plan in March, which the EC accepted.
11
Despite efforts, however, current emissions trading groups tend to suffer from flaws such as neglect to take advantage of auctioning and low prices that don’t offer enough incentive to reduce emissions.
12
At the 2006 G8 meeting, former President Chirac called for the creation of UNEO
(United Nations Environment Organisation) 13 , the supporters of which met in Agadir in
April, 2007 under the title of “Friends of UNEO” 14 . Continuing that initiative, France believes that a specialized agency is necessary to provide an arena for conversation as well as to coordinate action between various sectors such as the World Water Forum and the United Nations Forum on Forests.
15
Because the environmental threat is so interlaced with the world’s existing problems and has the potential to incite violence in underdeveloped areas, the international community, with the advice of the Council, needs to reach out to those regions where climate change may result in conflict and threaten peace.
16
10 A. Denny Ellerman and Barbara K. Buchner, “The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme:
Origins, Allocation, and Early Results”, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy 2007
1(1):66-87.
<http://reep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/1/1/66>
11 “EC Approves France's Emissions Trading Plan for 2008-2012”, IHS, March 27, 2007.
<http://engineers.ihs.com/news/eu-en-natl-allocation-plan-3-07.htm>
12 “EU ETS Hits Crunch Time”. Carbon Trust. November 07, 2006.
<http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/about/presscentre/2006/071106_euets.htm>
13 “French Memorandum on the United Nations Environment Organisation (UNEO)”. Presidence de la Republique. Elysee. 2006.
<http://www.elysee.fr/elysee/elysee.fr/anglais/speeches_and_documents/2006/g8_saint_petersbo urg/french_memorandum_on_the_united_nations_environment_organisation-uneo.55955.html>
14 “ First Meeting of the Group of Friends of UNEO”. Group of Friends of UNEO. Agadir. April
12-13, 2007.
<http://www.reformtheun.org/index.php?module=uploads&func=download&fileId=2277>
15 Republic of France Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. “Transforming the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) into a specialized agency” France Diplomatie. April
12-13, 2007.
<http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france-priorities_1/environment-sustainabledevelopment_1097/united-nations-environment-organization-uneo_1966/index.html>
16 “ Security Council Holds First-Ever Debate on Impact of Climate Change On Peace, Security,
Hearing Over 50 Speakers.” New York: Department of Public Information: News and Media
Division. Security Council 5663 rd Meeting. April 17, 2007.
<http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sc9000.doc.htm>.

At the Council’s debate on Global Warming, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations
Secretary-General, echoed the call of his predecessor, Mr. Kofi Annan, to take note of the devastating effect that environmental degradation and, consequently, scarcity of crucial resources can have on the stability of a region.
17
This point cannot be stressed enough. At stake is the future of the world as we know it; the Council must act now.
17 Idem.

Cited Sources
Beardsley, Eleanor. “Sarkozy Plans to Put France in Environmental Lead”. National
Public Radio. October 26, 2007.
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15673585>
Center for Global Development, “Commitment to Development 2007: France”. 2007.
<http://www.cgdev.org/section/initiatives/_active/cdi/_country/france/>
Chirac, Jacques. “Going Our Own Way Will Not Solve the Problem…” The Independent .
The French Embassy to the United Kingdom. July 13, 2006.
<http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/G8-summit.html#sommaire_3>
"Climate change: Sarkozy backs carbon tax, EU levy on non-Kyoto imports”. Agence
France-Presse. October 25, 2007.
<http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gx9Wyuo7XJiydxsqseJmVdX3-MoQ>
“EC Approves France's Emissions Trading Plan for 2008-2012”. IHS. March 27, 2007.
<http://engineers.ihs.com/news/eu-en-natl-allocation-plan-3-07.htm>
“EU ETS Hits Crunch Time”. Carbon Trust. November 07, 2006.
<http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/about/presscentre/2006/071106_euets.htm>
Ellerman, A. Danny and Barbara K. Buchner, “The European Union Emissions Trading
Scheme: Origins, Allocation, and Early Results”, Review of Environmental
Economics and Policy 2007 1(1):66-87.
<http://reep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/1/1/66>
“First Meeting of the Group of Friends of UNEO”. Group of Friends of UNEO. Agadir.
April 12-13, 2007.
<http://www.reformtheun.org/index.php?module=uploads&func=download&fileI d=2277>
“French Memorandum on the United Nations Environment Organisation (UNEO)”.
Presidence de la Republique. Elysee. 2006.
<http://www.elysee.fr/elysee/elysee.fr/anglais/speeches_and_documents/2006/g8
_saint_petersbourg/french_memorandum_on_the_united_nations_environment_or ganisation-uneo.55955.html>
Godoy, Julio. “Global Warming: France Feels the Heat”. Inter Press Service. Common
Dreams Newscenter. July 18, 2005.
<http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0718-04.htm>
Mackenzie, James. “Sarkozy Pledges Action on Global Warming”. The Boston Globe,
Reuters, October 26th, 2007.

<http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2007/10/26/sarkozy_pledges_action
_on_global_warming/>
Republic of France Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. “France and the Fight
Against Global Warming” France Diplomatie. October 1, 2007.
< http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france-priorities_1/environment-sustainabledevelopment_1097/environmental-diplomacy_4155/climate_4596/france-and-thefight-against-global-warming_7440.html>
Republic of France Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. “Transforming the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) into a specialized agency” France
Diplomatie. April 12-13, 2007.
<http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france-priorities_1/environment-sustainabledevelopment_1097/united-nations-environment-organizationuneo_1966/index.html>
“Sarkozy Urges Action on Global Warming”.
Terra Daily . May 06, 2007.
< http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Sarkozy_Urges_Action_On_Global_Warming
_999.html>
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Change”. United Nations. April 17, 2007.
<http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sc9000.doc.htm>