Between the words “cop” and “God”, our heart has wavered in recent days, you will understand. To begin, let’s head to Cop 29 in Baku, which has the merit of condensing our two words of the week. Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, where, as some might also say, takes place “the low blows Cop.“Contrary to what the Jacques Brothers thought “when there is no more oil (…) the good Lord will find his sheep“, President Ilham Aliev therefore preferred to play the card of “Oil pop” in his opening speech at COP29, affirming that for him, oil and gas were “a gift from God.”
Oh my god
“Any natural resource, oil, gas, wind, solar, gold, silver, copper: these are natural resources and countries should not be blamed for having them and providing them to the markets, because the markets need them ( …) we must be realistic” he also declared. Even if he denies being against a necessary green transition, Ilham Aliev assumes and persists in his declarations.
Don’t count on me
While the arrival of Donald Trump at the White House had already raised concerns about the pursuit of global objectives in the fight against climate change, the fact that the president of the country hosting the international summit on the subject could have such remarks, in addition to those particularly violent and unacceptable ones that he allowed himself to make about France, made more than one person jump. Our Minister for Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier Runacher therefore canceled her visit.
‘Long gone the meeting‘ (the appointment has been missed for a long time)
Is this really a surprise? An autocrat, the President of Azerbaijan intends to take care of his national economy, based almost entirely on its fossil wealth and can in all cases count on a total absence of dispute within his country, both his personal management of human rights is more than criticizable, since it is non-existent. President Aliyev will in any case remain a Out of time man.
Good Cop Bad Cop
So no, it’s not a surprise. The absence of many heads of state during the summit is a good illustration of this. But after a previous COP located in the United Arab Emirates, also heavily dependent on their exports of fossil fuels, it is difficult not to worry about the future and the relevance of these major international masses…
Lullaby of Birdland
On the French side in any case, we have nothing to be ashamed of the efforts of the building sector to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. We even continue to move forward. “It’s the fabulous story / Where birds by the thousands / From a miraculous island / Fly away scattered, scattered…” This is indeed what is desired by the designers of Colibri, the future national driver of building eco-design developed by the CSTB, Ademe, the HQE-GBC Alliance and Effinergie as part of the Target project. After two years of work and at the end of a “strongly collaborative approach”, a first copy of their specifications was returned this week for expected commissioning in 2025. An objective guided them: to make this engine the reference for all construction stakeholders over the 15 years following its implementation in service.
Can’t hold us (we can’t hold back)
Designated last July as the Grand Prix de l’urbanisme 2024 for her ambition to “green the fabric of the city”, Claire Shorter also reminds us in her interview with Batiactu of how today’s approaches should not and already are not plus those of yesterday. Frugality, sobriety, decarbonization, resilience, biodiversity, listening and dialogue with the territory and its inhabitants… Key words that are now shared and exchanged by many professionals.
Bloody sunday
In France, it’s also a gray face. We can’t deny it, we can’t do it again. While the budget plays back and forth like “it’s the caterpillar that restarts“ and although the first positive signs were emerging, all this is not happening fast enough. Particularly for real estate developers, who continue to suffer against the backdrop of the crisis. This week, it is the turn of AFC, a symbolic actor if ever there was one, as it was led by the previous president of the Federation of Real Estate Developers, to announce its liquidation… For the current president of the FPI, Pascal Boulanger, “If our leaders do not react, 2025 will be bloody.“And no one wants to come to that.
It will come, don’t be discouraged
“My friends, I assure you / That the weather is very hard / We must not be discouraged / It will begin soon / There will be work to be done / For everyone, this winter / We must give time/To the new government/It will come then it will come but let’s not be discouraged” Mary Travers, known as La Bolduc, Quebec singer-songwriter, 1929.
It is difficult for Minister Valérie Létard to stick to her commitments, as long as nothing is acted upon and validated on the budget side in Parliament, but she intends to continue her efforts. She thus and in particular turned this week towards social landlords, making a gesture on the RLS, so much criticized by the latter. So of course, it is not the elimination that they are demanding, but a no less significant reduction of 200 million euros, in return for specific commitments to produce social housing. And while waiting for other stimulus measures, such as the reduction in the Livret A.
The time has come for cathedrals
Finally, let’s talk about God again, but let’s talk well. Heading in fact for the upcoming reopening of Notre-Dame, the timetable for which is now defined. What force guided their steps? No one knows, but President Macron made one “said the master“ and the contract was fulfilled by all the companions, craftsmen and companies, project owners and project managers engaged on this extraordinary project: five years after the fire, the cathedral has had a makeover. “The achievement of a life”for the chief architect of historic monuments Philippe Villeneuve, rewarded in 2019 with a well-deserved Trophy of Honor at the Construction Trophies (organized by Batiactu and the SMABTP), which is revealed in our columns this week, at result of this historic project. Amen.
