Title: Al Gore praises Sarkozy's green policies
ALGOREismylife - October 25, 2007 09:39 PM (GMT)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtm...eafrance126.xml
Al Gore praises Sarkozy's green policies
By Henry Samuel in Paris
Last Updated: 7:01pm BST 25/10/2007
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has received warm praise from Nobel winning crusader Al Gore for his "historic" bid to spark a French "green revolution" after months of climate negotiations with green groups, unions and big business.
Al Gore and President Sarkozy at today's announcement
The former US vice president congratulated Mr Sarkozy for his "leadership" in getting opposing lobbies to talk to each other that the world could emulate.
"Today you become known as a great friend of the people of this planet," said Mr Gore, 59, who won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of climate change.
"I want to offer my congratulations to the French people. This is the beginning of an historic process."
Mr Gore said the French forum - dubbed the "Grenelle of the environment" after a Paris district - had given "a tremendous boost" to efforts to fight climate change.
advertisement"We need a 'Grenelle mondial' (Worldwide Grenelle) so that we can all go far quickly," he said, referring to France's success in getting old rivals - industry, green advocates, farmers - to talk and agree on measures.
Mr Gore called this week on world leaders to hold an emergency meeting early next year at the UN to review progress made at the global climate talks in Bali in December.
The Bali summit aims to create a roadmap for negotiations on a global deal on climate change to come into force after the first stage of the UN's Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012.
Mr Sarkozy delighted environmentalists by coming out in support of a "carbon tax" on fossil fuels and other pollutants, although he stopped short of committing to impose it.
In a speech wrapping up more than three months of climate negotiations, Mr Sarkozy said he would consider shifting part of the French tax burden from labour to polluting products.
"We need to profoundly revise all of our taxes and charges. The aim is to tax pollution more, including fossil fuels, and to tax labour less," he said.
Ruling out any increase in overall taxation, he pledged to study the creation of a "climate-energy tax", "in exchange for alleviating labour taxes."
Addressing European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso, also present for his speech, Mr Sarkozy called on Europe to study the "option of taxing products imported from countries that do not respect the Kyoto protocol."
After a final two days of round-table discussions, Mr Sarkozy announced a raft of measures, from freezing the building of new highways and airports, to a national plan to shift freight traffic from road to rail.
Participants also pledged to slash pesticide use by 50 per cent, although no timetable was given.
France will eliminate all energy waste by households and ban incandescent light bulbs and polluting cars, according to the proposals.
By 2020, Mr Sarkozy promised, all new buildings should "produce more energy than they consume." All incandescent light bulbs and single-paned windows would be banned by 2010, according to the plan.
The president also said he would suspend the planting of genetically modified pest-resistant crops until the results of an study later this year or early in 2008. But he stressed that he did not condone a halt to GMO research.
Lawmakers are expected to vote on the proposals early next year.
Green campaigners appeared ecstatic: "Given what has been passed, we are in the range of 15 out of 20 and in terms of democracy, we are on 20 out 20," said Nicolas Hulot, wildlife television star and France's best-known green lobbyist.
Until now, France has been a laggard in green issues compared to its European neighbours.
Al Gore praises Sarkozy's green policies
By Henry Samuel in Paris
Last Updated: 7:01pm BST 25/10/2007
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has received warm praise from Nobel winning crusader Al Gore for his "historic" bid to spark a French "green revolution" after months of climate negotiations with green groups, unions and big business.
Al Gore and President Sarkozy at today's announcement
The former US vice president congratulated Mr Sarkozy for his "leadership" in getting opposing lobbies to talk to each other that the world could emulate.
"Today you become known as a great friend of the people of this planet," said Mr Gore, 59, who won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of climate change.
"I want to offer my congratulations to the French people. This is the beginning of an historic process."
Mr Gore said the French forum - dubbed the "Grenelle of the environment" after a Paris district - had given "a tremendous boost" to efforts to fight climate change.
advertisement"We need a 'Grenelle mondial' (Worldwide Grenelle) so that we can all go far quickly," he said, referring to France's success in getting old rivals - industry, green advocates, farmers - to talk and agree on measures.
Mr Gore called this week on world leaders to hold an emergency meeting early next year at the UN to review progress made at the global climate talks in Bali in December.
The Bali summit aims to create a roadmap for negotiations on a global deal on climate change to come into force after the first stage of the UN's Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012.
Mr Sarkozy delighted environmentalists by coming out in support of a "carbon tax" on fossil fuels and other pollutants, although he stopped short of committing to impose it.
In a speech wrapping up more than three months of climate negotiations, Mr Sarkozy said he would consider shifting part of the French tax burden from labour to polluting products.
"We need to profoundly revise all of our taxes and charges. The aim is to tax pollution more, including fossil fuels, and to tax labour less," he said.
Ruling out any increase in overall taxation, he pledged to study the creation of a "climate-energy tax", "in exchange for alleviating labour taxes."
Addressing European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso, also present for his speech, Mr Sarkozy called on Europe to study the "option of taxing products imported from countries that do not respect the Kyoto protocol."
After a final two days of round-table discussions, Mr Sarkozy announced a raft of measures, from freezing the building of new highways and airports, to a national plan to shift freight traffic from road to rail.
Participants also pledged to slash pesticide use by 50 per cent, although no timetable was given.
France will eliminate all energy waste by households and ban incandescent light bulbs and polluting cars, according to the proposals.
By 2020, Mr Sarkozy promised, all new buildings should "produce more energy than they consume." All incandescent light bulbs and single-paned windows would be banned by 2010, according to the plan.
The president also said he would suspend the planting of genetically modified pest-resistant crops until the results of an study later this year or early in 2008. But he stressed that he did not condone a halt to GMO research.
Lawmakers are expected to vote on the proposals early next year.
Green campaigners appeared ecstatic: "Given what has been passed, we are in the range of 15 out of 20 and in terms of democracy, we are on 20 out 20," said Nicolas Hulot, wildlife television star and France's best-known green lobbyist.
Until now, France has been a laggard in green issues compared to its European neighbours.
Wayne in WA State - October 26, 2007 09:07 AM (GMT)
I doubt the US media will do it's job and cover this story ..
But this is actually huge :clap:
France has elected President Sarkozy, the more conservative of the main candidates, and he has warmly greeted VP/PE Gore and courageously lent his support for a fundamental shift in the tax burden away from jobs and income and towards pollution.
A vital capitalist realization that costs need to be paid for to encourage free markets. Burying the cost of pollution has been distorting our economy.
Aren't you glad there is still an American the world respects and admires?
Vive Le France, Vive Le America
Freedom Fries my ass, I eat French Fries thank you very much :spikey:
But this is actually huge :clap:
France has elected President Sarkozy, the more conservative of the main candidates, and he has warmly greeted VP/PE Gore and courageously lent his support for a fundamental shift in the tax burden away from jobs and income and towards pollution.
A vital capitalist realization that costs need to be paid for to encourage free markets. Burying the cost of pollution has been distorting our economy.
Aren't you glad there is still an American the world respects and admires?
Vive Le France, Vive Le America
Freedom Fries my ass, I eat French Fries thank you very much :spikey: