Sustainable Development, Climate Change, Energy Saving: Discursive Developments of an Environmental Ethic

In 2010, we find that, despite the financial, economic, and social crisis currently being experienced, ecological, sustainable development and, more specifically, climate change issues have become major societal challenges and a political priority. This is the case both in France (as illustrated by the latest presidential campaign and the decisions of the Environment Round Table even if the recent abandonment of the carbon tax points to the difficulties of implementing such a policy) and internationally, most notably with the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and the IPCC, and the election of Barack Obama to the US Presidency, someone who, unlike his predecessor, has highlighted and acknowledged the importance of the climate change problem. Despite the failure of the Copenhagen Summit and the controversy raised by climate sceptics1, which have led to disagreements and heated debates, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries, an appreciation of the need to take action against climate change is gradually becoming part of our everyday lives. It is also being relayed by the media and awareness campaigns and being fuelled by the occurrence in recent years, particularly in France, of extreme meteorological events often attributed to climate change (such as the 1999 winter storm, the heatwave in the summer of 2003, storm Klaus at the beginning of 2009, and storm Xynthia in 2010).