Pirate's Cove

As usual, they confuse weather with climate

Days after heatwave, French government cuts climate change adaptation funds

Just days after an unusually early heatwave hit much of France, the government’s spending cuts to address the fallout from the war in the Middle East are now having a major impact on environmental policy. Environment-related spending is not the only sector affected, nor even the hardest hit, with a total of €275 million in credits either canceled or frozen. But the move is particularly bitter for environmental advocates, who have criticized the government for failing to adequately prepare France for extreme heat.

“After demonstrating a complete lack of preparation during eight days of a historic heatwave, here are the government’s climate change adaptation measures,” Marine Tondelier, leader of the Greens, wrote on X. “At this level of incompetence and stubbornness in the wrong direction, it’s climate denial.”

Among the most affected measures is the territorial environmental transition acceleration fund, known as the “Green Fund.” Created in 2023 and highly valued by local officials, the fund helps local authorities invest in projects that protect the environment and combat climate change. According to the Environment Ministry’s website, in just three years, it has already provided financial support for more than 25,000 projects.

The fund is also one of the flagship programs promoted by the third National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PNACC), unveiled in March 2025, which aims to prepare France for a +4°C scenario by 2100. As recently as April, the government announced that the Green Fund’s 2026 priority would be to “reinforce the adaptation of local areas to climate change,” one of its three historic pillars.

Do you know why they are upset? Because it means less taxpayer money to graft off of. Those “environmental advocates”, who tend to really do nothing, skim lots of the money off the top as they spread it around to companies who also take their cut and eventually it gets to someone who can actually do the job. It’s a taxpayer funded slush fund.

Other programs funding environmental transition are also facing cuts. The program that supports the National Housing Agency, which manages the main public subsidy for energy-efficient home renovations, will see nearly €300 million in spending authorizations frozen. That has raised fears of further reductions to this key aid, which has already faced numerous setbacks in recent months.

Scam money. France is realizing that it can no longer afford this.