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Train station in Marseille: In future, the French are to take the TGV instead of the plane on shorter routes
Photo: BERTRAND LANGLOIS / AFP
The High Climate Council in France has described a government legislative package on climate protection as not ambitious enough.
The proposal, which, among other things, provides for a ban on many short-haul flights, has "insufficient range," criticized the committee set up by President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.
This means that France is not living up to its international commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
The government wants to ban short-haul flights in France if there is a train alternative of a maximum of two and a half hours.
This target is "far too low," as it only affects around ten percent of national air traffic, according to the Climate Council's statement.
No advertising ban for climate-damaging products
The experts also complained that the government wants to forego a comprehensive advertising ban for climate-damaging products.
Only the advertising of fossil fuels should be prohibited according to the law plan.
In addition, there are plans to ban heated outdoor terraces in restaurants, for example, and further restrictions on environmentally harmful cars in cities.
Overall, the measures were not enough to catch up with France's delay in cutting emissions, the panel said in a statement on Tuesday.
Numerous projects would be limited in their effectiveness due to their selective application or a delay in implementation.
The legislative package is the result of a citizens' convention
The legislative package recently approved by the Cabinet is the result of a Citizens' Convention for the Climate that President Macron launched.
It will be discussed in parliament from the end of March.
Some of the citizens' representatives had previously criticized the implementation as inadequate.
According to the French news agency AFP, the responsible ministry for ecological transition explained the criticism that the government had found a balance in some legislative points for a sustainable solution that leaves no one behind.
It also assured that the parliament would expand some points in the draft.
Macron will take part in international climate consultations on Tuesday.
The heads of state and government of the 15 members of the UN Security Council connect via video conference to discuss the threat to world peace from the climate crisis.
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caw / AFP / dpa