Fourteen people in France – backed by major environmental groups – have taken legal steps against the government for failing to protect the population from the effects of climate change. It’s the first case of its kind in the EU focused not on reducing emissions, but on adaptation – the real-world consequences people are already facing.
The lawsuit targets France’s third National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, known as Pnacc-3. Finalised on 10 March, it sets out 52 measures meant to prepare the country for a potential 4C temperature rise by 2100.
