Have the Attacks in France changed anything about COP21?
The short answer to the question posed in the title would be yes, it has; the COP21 organizers have come out with a statement detailing the heightened security. But this is not such a large change from what is already going to be an event with very tight security. Even before the attacks, France planned to close its borders and reinstitute border controls for the duration of COP21. This is significant because countries in the European Union’s Schengen Zone share open borders.
The security of this event is incredibly important for France itself for a couple of reasons. In France, COP21 is a nationally known event. The French have been promoting the meeting extensively. I was surprised that even in my French town of 100,000 people, a salon of “Green Growth” was held, where a wide variety of subjects, from eco-tourism to water management, was discussed. One of the most well-known newspapers in the country, Le Monde, has an entire online section dedicated to COP21. With this kind of national investment, the COP21 show must go on.
But one of the largest changes to the schedule of events is the cancellation of protests. the French government has decided to cancel the protests planned for November 29th and December 12th because of security concerns. But thankfully, climate activists, though disappointed with the decision (notably Naomi Klein), will be looking for different ways to make their voices heard. Another lesser-known security measure being put in place is safeguards against the water contamination of France’s water sources, which could be vulnerable to chemical attacks.
But for France, especially in the wake of the attacks in Paris, COP21 must continue in order to prove the greater point that such events will not stop the world from achieving what is considered one of the most vital political agreements necessary for mitigating the effects of climate change. Obama has been quoted by The Guardian saying, “I think it’s absolutely vital for every country, every leader, to send a signal that the viciousness of a handful of killers does not stop the world from doing vital business.” One of the most powerful calls to action has been by Naomi Klein, where in The New Yorker she writes about the impossible-to-ignore connections between world peace and a climate accord. She says: “What if, instead of being pushed aside in the name of war, climate action took center stage as the planet’s best hope for peace?”
