French President Emmanuel Macron wants to hold a referendum on a revision of the climate change constitution if parliament allows it.
He wants to be able to switch faster in the field of climate and environmentally friendly policymaking, he said on Monday.
He also pledged EUR 15 billion in additional funding to accelerate the transition to a greener economy. Macron thus responded to proposals from a Climate Council, which he had instituted to set a new course for France’s ecological agenda.
However, Macron said he disagrees with the Council’s proposal for a 4 percent dividend tax to help fund new environmental policies. That would only discourage investment, he said.
He also supported a proposal for a moratorium on new commercial zones on the city’s fringes, saying he would consider introducing a new law against “ecocide” (killing nature).
The Climate Council defined ecocide as any action causing severe environmental damage and proposed punishing crime with imprisonment and a fine of up to € 10 million.
The French green party EELV wants President Emmanuel Macron to prioritize environmental protection.
According to MEP and party leader Yannick Jadot, the electoral gains of the greens in the municipal elections on Sunday show that French voters consider measures to combat climate change meaningful, which he says Macron denies.