15/10/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 14 October, the Administrative Court of Paris ordered the French State to “repair the ecological damage” caused by exceeding the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ceiling that was set in the first French carbon budget (2015–2018). The government is therefore required to pay compensation for this overrun by 31 December 2022. While the ceiling was exceeded by 62 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2eq), the substantial reduction in GHG emissions in 2020 (due to Covid-19) has reduced the overall damage to 15 Mt CO2eq, the Court said. French MEP Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA), who initiated the legal action, has welcomed the court's decision. This confirms that “there is indeed an obligation for States to act on behalf of the climate and the rights of citizens in the face of climate change”. See the judgment (in French): https://bit.ly/3DG4XFx (DG)