To finance the ecological transition: our analyses and proposals. Contribution to the public consultation on the financing of the ecological transition

The financing of ecological transition is a key issue which conditions the nature of the transition and its ecological efficiency, the acceptability of measures with respect to requirements in terms of social justice, and the sustainability of undertaken actions. This publication is an answer to a public consultation launched by the French government with the publication of a White Paper on these issues. The authors first analyse, discuss and criticise the content of the White Paper. For them, it reduces the approach to a normative one, is based on a decoupling between economic growth and use of resources, propagates a technical-scientific illusion, often indicates selective and incomplete data, and addresses the energy issue through a supply-based approach. In the next part, the authors discuss how transition financing is addressed in the White Paper. In the third part, proposals are made according to three main principles: ecological transition is a social, political, and cultural process which must be supported, financed and implemented at all territorial levels; transition can be financed only if it comes with a strict legal framework which will define what is possible and what is not any longer; financing must be conditioned to results in terms of sobriety and of ecological and social efficiency, including the creation, qualification and sustainability of jobs. A set of programmes is also presented with associated measures on energy efficiency and sobriety, on a fair use of common good, on a re-localisation of activities, and a support of international initiatives. Some proposals are also made regarding financing tools