Sarkozy promises a green revolution for France

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"France isn't late but France wants now to be in the lead," he said in a speech wrapping up a special environmental policy conference seeking ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions and help change attitudes to the environment.

The congress was one of the highest profile green initiatives ever launched in France and fulfilled an election campaign promise by Sarkozy, who has said his government will emphasise sustainable development.

The French president pledged investments to improve energy efficiency in buildings, as well measures to encourage greener vehicles in a package that was welcomed by France's main farmers lobby and by green groups.

"There's undoubtedly ambition there, there's a cultural change at state level" said Yannick Jodiot, programme director at Greenpeace France. "But unfortunately there's still too much ambiguity there for us not to keep being extremely vigilant."

Sarkozy said he would order the suspension of commercial cultivation of crops genetically modified to repel pests, pending a wider study and asked the agriculture minister to look at halving the use of farm pesticides "if possible" in 10 years.

Further consultations will be held before the end of the year and parliament is expected to legislate in the first half of next year.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

France has long lagged behind Germany and Scandinavian countries in promoting environmental innovation but, with former U.S. Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore sitting alongside, Sarkozy faced high expectations.

He steered clear of a generalised "carbon tax" that some environmental organisations had wanted but unveiled a series of fiscal measures to punish polluting vehicles and bolster the fight against greenhouse gases.

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