Looking Ahead

The environmental challenges facing France today—from climate change to biodiversity loss, from pollution to resource depletion—require unprecedented cooperation across social, cultural, and political divides. By understanding how French environmentalism has evolved, including its successes and limitations, we can better navigate toward a more sustainable and equitable future.

This book tells the story of how a nation has grappled with its relationship to the environment, but it is also a story about democracy, justice, and the kind of society we wish to create. In the French tradition of engagement, we hope this work contributes not just to understanding but to transformation.

Welcome to the complex, contested, and crucial world of French environmentalism. Allons-y!# Historical Foundations (19th Century - 1960s)