Politico: Macron’s Moment to Make the Planet Great Again

France’s President Emmanuel Macron is emerging as a global leader on climate change, spaking out and rallying on research and policies. An article in Politico describes him as the “world’s liberal foil to Donald Trump,” after the United States withdrew from the Paris climate agreement. The One Planet Summit in Paris marks the second anniversary and drew government leaders, philanthropists and researchers. “In Europe, the EU needs Macron to help strengthen the bloc’s position both internationally, filling the leadership void left by former U.S. President Barack Obama, and in Brussels, where fossil fuel-reliant countries like Poland and Romania are resisting tough policies,” report Sara Stefanini and Nicholas Vincour, who also describe political constraints for leaders in Britain and Germany. Macron has been outspoken on the responsibility of advanced nations to provide aid for poor countries and fund climate science. “He also called for measures to boost renewable energy, to more than triple the bloc-wide CO2 price from its current level and to impose a border tax on carbon emissions, as a way to force other countries to lower their own pollution.” In the end, collective action is required, with individuals around the world each taking steps to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. – YaleGlobal