Hello,
The main news of the week is the European elections and their results with no major surprises, unlike their unexpected aftermath: the French legislative elections. Of course, Breaking (RE)NEWS is not the place to talk (or engage) about politics, but it would be hypocritical or naive to pretend there is no link between the environmental transition, its pace, and the political choices of various parties. While no political party completely removes the issue of transition from its program, some call for its acceleration, others for its slowdown, still others for its questioning, and the last for its adjustment, one way or another: at least 50 shades from green to brown, listening to various parties, as Breaking (RE)NEWS has often done in recent months.
For all practical purposes and to try to escape the French tropism of having already forgotten the European elections and think only of the next ones, let's go back to basics, " let's be radical in analysis, in the original sense of the term: the root, the essence of things ", to use the words of Géraldine Poivert on LinkedIn, in her post dedicated to the results of the European vote. She began with a useful reminder: " the purpose was to elect members to the European Parliament -and nowhere else. In total, there are 720, elected in 27 member states of the European Union. And for the next 5 years, they will vote, or not, for the continuation of the Green Deal and its adjustments. Everything suggests they will!" Yes, because one could almost forget it: the new majority emerging in the European Parliament is the same as for the past five years. A coalition, as always since 1979 and the first European elections by universal suffrage. A so-called "left-right" coalition (S&D-EPP), which was expanded in 2019 to include the liberal centrists of "Renew" (largely composed of "macronists"). As the seat projection below indicates, the European Parliament of tomorrow will be led by the same majority as today, albeit a slightly narrower one:
It is even likely, Le Mondetells us, that the European Commission, the second pillar of the European Union (EU), will keep the same President: Ursula von der Leyen, a candidate for her own succession. The very same woman who, in recent years, with the support of Parliament, championed the famous Green Deal to which we owe most of the major regulatory advances in the economic and environmental transition.
One unknown remains regarding the third, and not least, pillar of the EU: the European Council. Unlike the first, the Parliament, which will not change or will change very little over the next five years, and the second, the Commission, which barring a specific crisis will also not change, the third, the Council, is subject to the democratic vagaries of the 27 member states, each at its own electoral pace. Regarding France, as you will not have missed, it has accelerated. As these lines are written, the latest available poll, which can be found by reading Challenges, allows us to project the National Assembly below:
One finds similarities with the previous illustration concerning the European Parliament, but also a great difference: in the absence of a "left-right" coalition, "European-style," there is some difficulty imagining a constructive and stable majority emerging from this configuration. This raises questions about the ability of the French executive to make important decisions in the coming years. This is not a political judgment. But it is a real difficulty in a period when, precisely, strong inflections will need to be taken. Here again, we are in Breaking (RE)NEWS; we are not talking about near or distant military conflicts, nor even about the major US/China/Europe balances, but more prosaically about the very rapid upcoming developments concerning the transition.
Moreover, in the very short term, the dissolution of the French National Assembly also had the consequence of sending back into limbo legislative texts that were nevertheless well advanced and important, listed notably by L'Express :
– The bill on PFAS to prohibit the manufacture, import, export, and placing on the market of forever chemicals by 2026 in certain products (cosmetics, ski wax, clothing, shoes…)
– The agricultural orientation bill, which notably included simplified regulations
– The bill on simplifying economic life, intended to implement about thirty simplification measures for the functioning of businesses: reduction of administrative procedures, redefinition of the relationship between administration and business…
– The bill against "fast fashion" intended to reduce pollution from the textile industry by creating an ecological penalty and banning advertising.
– The bill on greening vehicle fleets, whose objective is to achieve 90% of the vehicle fleet being "very low emission" by 2032.
But also, Les Echosreminds us, the national low-carbon strategy (SNBC) and the resulting multiannual energy program (PPE) were supposed to be published and put out for consultation this week, in order to finally be validated. " It is not possible to open a consultation in the current context. But this publication is simply postponed by a few weeks…" the Ministry of Ecological Transition would like to believe. A damaging delay, continues Les Echos: "Even if the SGPE has already put many planning documents online, they have no legal value as long as they have not been subject to decrees." As a reminder, the adoption of these documents is not only provided for by the 2019 energy and climate law, but they must also serve as the basis for the integrated national energy and climate plan, which must legally be submitted to Brussels… before June 30. Similarly, the government has been announcing for months the imminent publication of the national climate change adaptation plan (PNACC), a major project launched in January 2023 by the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu. In short, summarize Les Echos, "ecological planning is in limbo." And to quote Jules Nyssen, President of the Renewable Energy Union, speaking in Novethic, "what is happening is serious. We are in complete instability, when we need legal certainty and visibility. And we will pay a heavy price for it."
What is not in limbo, however, are our weekly sections, starting as usual with some meteorological considerations! The previous Breaking (RE)NEWS reviewed the "crappy spring" that France is experiencing. Well, it continues. If temperatures remain on average high, rainfall is at its highest. And this results, a blessing in disguise, in groundwater levels being in "a very satisfactory state," Le Mondetells us, which has not happened in France for years. A little heartening map, therefore, particularly for agriculture and water resources (less so for household morale, but you can't have everything):
Climate again, the "could do better" of the week is given to the French authorities by the High Council for Climate in its latest annual report, freshly published. It can be downloaded here, and we invite you to do so because the media view of the subject sometimes seems biased. Thus, from the same report, Les Echos mentions a "satisfactory" rating given to the government, Libération leans towards a "could do better," whileActu-environnement considers the efforts "insufficient." It must be said that the report is nuanced, the media sometimes less so. Notably, the experts welcome significant progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions – which is real – but urge the State to strengthen structural actions. Indeed, notes the High Council, "the gap is widening between adaptation efforts provided, on the one hand, and needs and vulnerabilities, on the other hand." So yes, real progress. But no, it is not sufficient because "the gap" is still widening…
The national strategy of the week narrowly avoided the dissolution of the National Assembly, as it was adopted a few days before! It is the National Sea and Coastal Strategy (SNML) 2030-2040, which aims to implement "a sustainable, ambitious policy capable of responding to the societal and ecological challenges of the next decade." Adopted by decree and signed by 11 ministers, it covers "all fields of maritime policy, from the economy to heritage, including Ocean Protection, training, or innovation," the Secretariat of State for the Sea and Biodiversitytells us. The SNML identifies four major priorities: carbon neutrality; biodiversity protection; social equity; competitiveness of a sustainable blue economy. All details are available on the Secretariat of State's website, here.
Another survivor of the electoral upheaval, the law of the week is European. It is also highly symbolic because its adoption had been repeatedly delayed. Finally, thanks to the unexpected about-face of the Austrian Environment Minister who voted against the advice of her country's chancellor, the 27 adopted on Monday, June 17, before Hungary's arrival as EU president in July, the Nature Restoration Regulation, a "key text of the Green Deal hated by the far right," according to Libération. This regulation aims to "restore at least 20% of the European Union's land and seas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050." The decision was supported by 20 states (including France) out of 27. Until now, Austria had officially chosen to abstain due to divisions within the ruling coalition. The (very) conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer deemed the vote of his environmentalist minister "illegal," threatening to initiate "an annulment action before European justice." However, the Belgian Alain Maron, whose country holds the EU presidency, considered it an Austrian "internal quarrel," recalling that "it is the ministers around the table who speak." Proof that it is not only in France that the political situation is "complicated," to put it politely.
The customs duties of the week are to be credited to the European Union, which finally decided to raise its voice against Chinese electric cars. As we remember, the United States, the land of free-market liberalism, announced on May 14 an increase in customs duties on Chinese "wattcars" to 100%, up from 25% previously, turning the American market into a fortress where the national champion Tesla reigns unchallenged. Brussels announced on Wednesday, June 12, up to 28% higher European customs duties on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, while seeking to avoid a trade war with Beijing, accused of having illegally favored its manufacturers. Vehicles manufactured in China were previously taxed at 10% in the EU. Le Monde details that Brussels plans to increase these duties to 17.4% for Chinese manufacturer BYD, 20% for Geely, and 38.1% for SAIC. For other manufacturers, an average duty of 21% should apply. "If discussions with the Chinese authorities do not lead to an effective solution, these provisional countervailing duties would be introduced from July 4," it is specified. Brussels will have four months, after the imposition of provisional duties, to impose definitive duties, which opens a dialogue window until November. Meanwhile, Beijing denounces "obvious protectionism." The idea is to slow down imports of Chinese electric vehicles without completely blocking them. The EU thus hopes to protect a sector that employs 14.6 million people in the EU while avoiding a deadly conflict with its second economic partner after the United States. For its part, Beijing has already announced in January an investigation into all wine spirits imported from the European Union, including cognac. Wine, dairy products, pork, and large-cylinder cars would also be in the crosshairs, according to the Chinese state press.
The reuse of the week delights us at (RE)SET, as we are not strangers to it. LSA magazine informs us that "more than 25 players in the agri-food industry have come together in a consortium, R3PACK, to launch an unprecedented experiment on reusable packaging in supermarkets. A few days ago, 3 Cooperative U stores in northern France began the test." The objective: "to put deposit back at the center of the game," headlines LSA. An opportunity for (RE)SET to salute on LinkedIn the success of the European program R3PACK – Reduce, Reuse, Rethink PACKaging and its 25+ partners. An unprecedented experiment in mass retail, coordinated by (RE)SET, this initiative aims to move the agri-food industry from disposable to sustainable, also relying on the potential of reuse.
The other Reuse of the week is perhaps more anecdotal, but everything is important. Libération looked into, to use THEIR headline, "Second-hand sex toys for sustainable sex." A platform has been launched, with an evocative name: Rejouis. Let's cowardly pass the word to Libération: "These sex toys are most often made in China with materials from petrochemicals (…) Open since April, this platform for reconditioned sex toys (…) offers a second life to our sex toys (…) by collecting, sorting, cleaning, and disinfecting them before reconditioning. The platform then offers resellers to take back a sex toy in exchange for a gift card or a bank transfer if they can be sold quickly. But be careful: only sex toys of certain brands and certain non-porous materials (glass, steel, or medical silicone) are currently taken back to be resold at a price on average 20% lower than new, and can be up to 50% discount. There you have it, Breaking (RE)NEWS shrinks from no subject, as long as it is sustainable.
The advice of the week may seem off-putting, but it is not: do not fear looking "dirty"! Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden looked at how often people wash their clothes, from an environmental protection perspective. According to their analysis, participants use their washing machines excessively for fear of being perceived as "dirty." The washing machine generally consumes between 40 and 80 liters of water per cycle, according to figures from the energy provider Engie. And on the electricity side, it's not better: 191 kWh per year, or 16 kWh per month and 0.5 kWh per day, according to theAgency for Ecological Transition. Furthermore, a single load of polyester clothing can release up to 700,000 microplastic fibers into the environment, states a report from the European Parliament. But despite this ecological awareness, a recent study, reported by The Guardian, revealed the difficulty citizens have in slowing down their use of this machine. The barrier is above all psychological: the "fear of looking dirty" pushes consumers to wash their clothes far more than their actual state of dirtiness would necessitate…
The judicial decision of the week concerns TotalEnergies, EDF, and Veolia. Libération informs us that the actions brought against these companies in the name of the duty of vigilance have been deemed admissible by the courts. "Could the law soon allow TotalEnergies to be compelled to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions?" wonders Libération. A first step has been taken: the Paris Court of Appeal ruled on Tuesday, June 18, that the action launched in this direction four years ago by a coalition of associations and local authorities was admissible. It can therefore now be examined on the merits. The actions brought against EDF and a former subsidiary of Suez, also accused by NGOs of having breached their duty of vigilance, have also been deemed admissible. These are the first decisions of a new chamber created at the Court of Appeal entirely dedicated to "emerging" litigation, related to the duty of vigilance and corporate ecological responsibility. In the most publicized case to date, before the Court of Appeal, a coalition of NGOs and local authorities had formally notified and then sued TotalEnergies to compel it to align its climate strategy with the Paris Agreement. At the hearing on March 5, representatives of the NGOs had warned of a potential "scrapping of the French duty of vigilance," if the inadmissibility arguments were confirmed. The lawyers for the sued companies, for their part, requested this confirmation and warned against decisions that could "make an already complex law, which aims to hold companies accountable, illegible." The Court has ruled. Duty of vigilance not dead!
Still on justice, our PFAS section of the week looks, with Libération, at the Arkema group. France 3 Rhône-Alpes revealed on June 12 that Arkema has known about the "toxicity" of certain of these "forever chemicals" since at least 1997, but the manufacture or use of certain molecules continued at the group's site in Pierre-Bénite in the Rhône long after they were banned in the United States, until its stocks were exhausted. As a reminder, at the beginning of 2024, the chemical giant Arkema finally succumbed to pressure from trade union organizations. The industrialist offered all its employees the opportunity to have their blood analyzed to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals. One of them, Pfna, is, according to a recent study by the Dutch health and environmental agency, ten times more toxic than Pfoa, which caused the scandal over Teflon's danger. And because its effects are particularly deleterious on human reproduction, the molecule has just been added to the list of "substances of very high concern candidates for restriction" by the European Chemicals Agency. However, in Pierre-Bénite (Lyon metropolitan area), the most affected Arkema employee tested with nearly 280 micrograms of Pfna per liter of blood. A rate 350 times higher than the French average.
The number of the week is given to us by the World Health Organization (WHO): 2.7 million deaths per year. Novethic explains that "2.7 million deaths are caused each year in Europe by the combined industries of tobacco, fossil fuels, alcohol, and ultra-processed food. This is the conclusion of a large study published a few days ago by the World Health Organization (WHO). Alone, these "four industries kill at least 7,000 people every day," indicates Hans Kluge, the UN organization's regional director, in a statement.
The swim of the week, already postponed four times, will not finally take place on June 30. The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, announced that she will finally swim in the Seine the week of July 15, as FranceTVinforeports. The previous postponements were explicitly due to excessive pollution of the Parisian river. This new postponement, however, is due to the holding of snap legislative elections. Small causes, big effects. We still do not know whether the Olympic "open water" events will be able to take place in the Seine or… elsewhere. If it continues to rain at the current rate, it will be necessary to look… elsewhere.
The critter of the week is rather a good surprise for biodiversity, as it reflects the discovery of an unknown fish variety. Its name will delight Tolkien and Lord of the Rings fans: Sauron! "One fish to rule them all?" jokes Libération. It is a species related to the piranha, discovered in the Brazilian Amazon, the British Natural History Museum announced. It thus joins the Gollum frog (still Lord of the Rings) or the dinosaur Gojirasaurus quayi – for Godzilla – in the ranks of animals named after fictional characters. This "piranha-kind" has a rather nice peculiarity: it is vegetarian, despite appearances! The "myloplus sauron," in all its splendor:
The riddle from our previous edition was very "down-to-earth." Which company, since the beginning of June, "weighs" more than our 40 French flagship companies combined in the CAC 40? The clue was that it concerns neither luxury, nor the automotive sector, nor oil, nor finance. The additional clue was that its founder and current CEO was born in Tainan, the cultural capital of Taiwan. Which was rather a trap since it is an American company: Nvidia. Whose market capitalization now exceeds that of Apple and is close to the world champion: Microsoft. While everyone knows Apple and Microsoft, many of you may have no idea what Nvidia does. This company became famous for manufacturing electronic chips for the most powerful graphics cards, initially dedicated to video games, thus to smooth complex images. Its explosion on the stock market is due to the fact that Nvidia now produces components essential to the proper functioning of artificial intelligence software – the author of these lines reminds that they are in no way used to write your Breaking (RE)NEWS!
The week's riddle is a photo, and you are asked to identify the object. The clue: it was taken in China, but it could just as well have been taken in the United States or Europe. It quite well symbolizes the economic and environmental transition and its perverse effects, if we are not careful.
Happy reading and have a good weekend!
[As a reminder, (RE)SET, founded in 2019, is the first independent consulting firm dedicated to economic and environmental transition and built for action. "(RE)SET: resources to win environmental and economic battles!" Inevitably partial, sometimes biased, always committed, this media review with its often spirited, even impertinent tone, in no way commits (RE)SET in its consulting activities, but it paints a picture we find interesting of the state of the transition as it appears in the press and research. A snapshot of the debate, of the forces at play, the oppositions, the convergences, which we hope is useful for your decisions and for building your transition strategies.]
