Cyclists take part in a march called "Claim the Climate" in Brussels, as the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) kicked off in Poland, a climate protest called "Claim the Climate" was held across Brussels. Ye Pingfan/PA Images. All rights reservedProtecting the environment plays a tangential role in the violent protests sweeping France since November 17, reaching a crescendo on Saturday, December 1. Donning the bright yellow vests required in French cars in case of a flat or other emergency, drivers all over the country are in the streets protesting President Emmanuel Macron’s new set of taxes aimed at curbing auto emissions. And even people who don’t own a car feel the solidarity and are joining in, to express their anger over another economic pressure on the middle, working and lower classes.
In a nod to the 2015 United Nations Climate Conference (COP21) and its Paris Accord, which attempts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, the French government decided to raise taxes on automobile fuel prices substantially by over 20 percent. Cutting subsidies on more-polluting diesel fuel, which is popular in France for older cars, will drive diesel prices even higher. Tax credits and subsidies are on offer to purchasers of new fuel-efficient cars, especially electric ones.
While visitors to Paris marvel at the efficiency of the Métro trains that encircle the City of Light’s tourist sites and fashionable neighbourhoods, the non-élite live farther afield. A small one-bedroom apartment of 50 m² in less desirable eastern Paris costs at least a million euros to buy and rents for more than €1,500 plus expenses. It’s not much less expensive in other cities in France. Minimum wage in France is €554 a month.
