She Made France a Renewable Energy Pioneer and Now Wants the World to Join In

At the event, Bill and Melinda Gates pressed the international community to "mobilize together to advance progress toward the Global Goals." fearing that cuts in bilateral and multilateral aid, and a growing feeling of retrenchment, could erode some of the gains made. In his highly anticipated speech at the event, former President Barack Obama tried to restore faith in the power of politics and public policy, saying, "Bill and Melinda Gates have donated a lot, but the US budget is much bigger."

One prominent leader in attendance was Ségolène Royal, France's former minister of the environment and president of COP 21 - the global climate summit held in Paris in 2015 that led to the adoption of a comprehensive international agreement on the reduction of climate change.

VICE Impact met with her to discuss her work since she left office and the importance of initiatives like Goalkeepers.

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VICE Impact: Why was it important to attend the inaugural Goalkeepers event ?

Ségolène Royal: I came here as part of Emmanuel Macron's delegation to UNGA. I also wanted to discuss progress made on the UN's environmental charter. I think that Goalkeepers and climate change are inextricably linked. Our ability to curb climate change will shape our capacity to meet the objects enshrined in the SDG's.

I support the Gates Foundation's initiative to closely monitor data and policy efforts in all countries to uphold these ambitious objectives. We had a great run between 2000 and 2015 with the Millennium Development Goals but the war against extreme poverty and HIV, and the battle for girls' education are far from won. There are countless challenges ahead of us. And they will only be met if we can build a broad coalition of influencers and stakeholders, and reconcile business with civil society.

As the former president of COP 21 what was your reaction to Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris accords?

Utter disappointment. Barack Obama had demonstrated exceptional American leadership in the fight against climate change and on the road to COP 21. He brought unprecedented hope. More importantly, I also felt the despair of poorer countries that are de facto the most vulnerable to climate change. And unilateral decisions like the one Trump made could cause irreparable damage in regions that are often remote, impoverished, and politically unstable.

These are also countries that bear the least responsibility for global warming and contribute the least to carbon emissions. But this week I was very pleased to hear about commitments made by cities, states, NGOs, foundations and businesses to circumvent the current American administration.

What is your outlook on President Macron's environmental policy?

I'm cautiously optimistic. On the one hand it looks like the government could back down on ecological taxation, which would be a big mistake. On the other hand, the president has announced a plan to introduce a green energy tax credit, which has my unwavering support.

Can you discuss your international work since you left office ?

Ségolène Royal: Building on my previous work as president of COP 21, I embarked on a mission as France's special envoy to set up the International Solar Alliance - a global initiative to better exploit solar energy, with an emphasis on underdeveloped and sub-Saharan countries. The alliance currently comprises 121 members, and I contributed to building the broadest possible coalition around this remarkable project.

I was recently appointed France's ambassador to the North and South poles. My role is to project France's vision of how the international community should use this inhabited land. We want to protect these environments as natural reserves and laboratories dedicated to peace, research and science. The poles are where we can best identify climate patterns. It's where we can best observe and analyze the effects of global warming before they hit us. Antarctica is the last pristine continent. It belongs to the international community, and we don't want any form of political instability that could lead to an anarchical use of resources

What would you like to highlight from your tenure as France's minister of the environment and president of COP 21?

All the negotiations I spearheaded to convince foreign countries to ratify the Paris agreement domestically because adopting it was only the first step. The law I passed on energy transition made France a pioneering country in renewable energy policy. Under my leadership, France became the first country to introduce government climate bonds, a new asset class that shows our commitment to sustainability.

To learn more about the SDGs, head to the Goalkeepers site created by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.