Abstract:
This article describes the efforts to implement local climate policies in France, Europe’s most centralised state. Whilst the development of ambitious and effective local climate policies is essential to fight climate change and adapt to its consequences, experience from recent efforts to establish local policies to fight air pollution and land artificialisation draw a rather dark picture about the success of such initiatives, which has been to this date unable to break up the unadmitted consensus of joint inaction on both local and national levels. The complex relationship between the central state, local bodies and amongst the latter requires a rethinking of the law in its terrestrial dimensions to effectively address climate change locally, especially in consideration of climate justice. In fact, existing approaches have failed to implement comprehensive measures to share efforts equally between territories. Finally, the need to develop innovative legal instruments to ensure the compatibility of climate policy with urban and social issues is emphasized.
