In its next report, the Accounts Chamber takes a closer look at government actions in the face of climate change.

Is the government wisely spending taxpayer money to adapt housing, urban policies, and even transportation to climate change? The Government Accountability Office is looking at this issue, among other things, in its annual report on public policy, which will be presented next Tuesday.

This document, which is the culmination of the actions of the financial jurisdiction, has been presented to parliamentarians every year since 1832. This year it will be 725 pages, up from 572 pages last year, and will have twice as many chapters as 2023.

The Sages of Rue Cambon and the Chambers of Regional and Territorial Accounts (CRTC) “dedicated this year’s annual public report theme to public action in the face of climate change,” according to a press release sent to AFP on Thursday.

“Due to its diverse and dispersed nature, adaptation to the impacts of climate change is an issue that concerns and should involve all government actors,” the watchdog argues, but the adaptation policies resulting from it “put pressure on national and local public finances.” , at the same time as they affect households.”

“Necessary Exercise”

The Court therefore proceeded to “measure the scope of adaptation policies” implemented “in different sectors” (housing, urban policy, transport, finance, health, etc.): a “cross-cutting exercise” that it considers “necessary.”

So, after the usual first chapter on “all government finances at the end of February 2024,” the report takes a 16-chapter look at adapting government action to climate change.

They are divided into three parts. The first focuses on climate change adaptation actors (government research, financial and banking institutions) and “the lack of efforts being made to limit the phenomenon.”

The second examines the specific implementation of this adaptation “in habitat and infrastructure,” addressing in particular “issues of housing, cities, transport networks.”

Finally, the third part consists of six chapters on “the natural environment and the conservation of people and activities”, covering, among other things, the sustainable management of forests and coastlines, the prevention of natural disasters in overseas territories or the protection of human health. vulnerable people.

“This report highlights the importance of coordination among all stakeholders in the implementation of public policy,” the Government Accountability Office said, which ensured it had “provided specific elements of the response.”