Buildings, water, energy or transport networks, preparation of coastal or mountain areas, studies on health impacts: at least 2.3 billion euros of additional funding is needed per year for the adaptation of France to climate change, according to a study.
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"
For the moment we are not ready and in particular in terms of financing
" adaptation measures, notes Benoît Leguet, director general of the think tank Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE), which produced this report (https: //www.i4ce.org/download/moyens-adaptation-consequences-changement-climatique-france).
Adaptation "
in general, it is forgotten, and the financing passes in the same way to the second plan
", he regretted during a presentation.
Because if “
it is good to have climate objectives, it is even better if these objectives are accompanied by a financing plan to support the actors who will make this transition
”.
High-level inter-ministerial portage
The study defines 18 measures, divided into three main chapters: funding of posts to “
improve the coordination and management of the adaptation policy
”, for a total amount of 250 million euros;
strengthen the services already contributing to adaptation (weather, civil protection, etc.), for 540 million euros;
dedicated financing for “
already mature
” projects, in particular on infrastructure networks or housing, for a total of 1.5 billion euros.
That is “
at least 2.3 billion euros per additional year which can be mobilized from the next finance bill
”, insists the report.
"
In the short term, we must ensure that the subject of adaptation benefits from high-level interministerial support
", if possible at Matignon, and human and financial resources, notes Morgane Nicol, one of the authors.
Public Health Exploratory Program
Some of the investments will be used to deal with an already existing "
increased risk
", such as the geographical and seasonal extension of forest fires, which will require more funds for the emergency services to maintain the same level of efficiency, note the authors.
Their 18 proposals range from relatively modest budgets, such as an “
exploratory national public health program to anticipate and prevent climate risks
”, costing 2.5 million euros, to envelopes of hundreds of millions.
An “
annual envelope of support for the extension of good adaptation practices in the city
” is thus evaluated at 500 million euros, as are the additional costs in future constructions “
of teaching and research buildings
”.
Because it is important that “
the new investments are adapted, in particular the decisions which commit amounts to come much larger than these 2.3 billion
” euros, insists another of the authors, Vivian Dépoues.
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But this prospective vision aiming at "
more structural transformations
" will have to be the subject of debates allowing "
political prioritizations and arbitrations
", on the "
levels of robustness
" required of infrastructures for example or even of the major socio-economic systems, agriculture or tourism for example.