Weather. Toulouse activists and collectives challenge the state on the ecological transition of the aviation sector
In support of climate activists, tried this Thursday for invading the tarmac at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, aeronautics employees and departure collectives in Toulouse sign a platform. They ask the government to commit to the ecological transition of the aviation sector.
This Thursday, October 7, 2021, six pro-climate protesters appear before the Bobigny Judicial Court. They had invested, alongside a target of demonstrators in October 2020, the tarmac of Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulles to protest against the airport extension project. Supporting these young activists, aeronautic employees, climate activists and Toulouse collectives are asking the government to lead a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. According to the signatories of a forum, “The State must initiate the ecological transition of the aviation sector instead of relaunching growth”.
The president of the French Union against aircraft nuisance (UFCNA) and the collective “Let’s think about the Airport of Tomorrow” (PAD) in Toulouse, Chantal Beerdemande, signatory of the platform, calls on the government. She believes that justice would have “other things to do than to sanction these young activists who remain up to 5 years in prison and a 100,000 euros fine”.
The PAD collective wrote a press release in support of climate activists:
“Halve the number of annual passengers within 20 years”
According to the signatories of this forum, the government continues to support the aviation sector without ecological and social compensation. To achieve the objectives set by the Paris Agreement, it must “to halve the number of annual passengers within 20 years at most”, explains Chantal Beerdemande,
If we want to participate in improving greenhouse gas emissions, if we want to limit global warming, for which air traffic is partly responsible, if we want to avoid atmospheric pollution, to prevent the plane from damaging health people because of the noise, we must enter a virtuous era, reduce air traffic and the number of annual passengers.
It specifies that the employees of the aeronautical industry are members of the collective. And that they wish to improve this activity which is polluting. “We do not want to bury the aviation sector but want to reduce its impact. It is not by offering miles to travelers that we are committing to the ecological transition “.
Keep the commitments of the Paris Agreement
Technological advances will not be enough. “It is urgent that the State, local communities and leaders commit and take measures to reduce the level of air traffic and meet the climate commitments set by the Paris Agreement», Explains the activist.
Also signatories of this forum: researchers from the Toulouse Political Ecology Workshop, member of the PAD. “The health crisis put an unprecedented halt to the growth of the aviation sector. After this crisis, the Government and decision-makers in the sector do not want one to choose: to restart this growth as before. As if it were compatible with our climate commitments.”
To align with the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to halve our emissions by 2030, and by five by 2050. To hope to achieve this, all sectors without exception must contribute.
According to the signatories of this[newsletterquotidienne]-20211007-[lestitres-coldroite/titre2″>tribune publiée sur le site de Franceinfo ce jeudi 7 octobre 2021, les progrès technologiques ne suffiront pas.
“Des solutions existent, il manque une véritable volonté politique pour leur mise en œuvre”, précise Chantal Beerdemande, présidente de l’Union Française contre les nuisances des Aéronefs (UFCNA) et du collectif Pensons à l’Aéroport de demain (PAD) à Toulouse.