Forest management or construction of low-carbon buildings: the State strives to conclude the training of its senior civil servants in the ecological transition with a concrete illustration of the environmental issues and the solutions. An approach hailed by the participants, but the impact is still uncertain.
The Montmorency forest "is the only one in Île-de-France to be classified in a state of health crisis", explains Michel Béal, director of the Île-de-France Ouest agency of the ONF.
In recent years, the many chestnut trees that make it up have been affected by ink disease, a parasite that would be "less virulent" if the temperatures had not warmed up so much, he explains.
Hence the cuts on the plot, to limit the spread of this parasite. The ONF also plans to diversify tree species to better adapt the forest to the effects of climate change.
Oak will only represent 50 to 55% of the species that the ONF intends to replant. “Before, it looked like 80% oak,” explains Philippe Belchi, territorial referent of the office.
A few minutes later, the group stops in front of a pile of cut wood. The aim this time is to illustrate another priority of the ONF: promoting the wood sector.
"In France, there are more than 400.000 jobs in the forest-wood sector, jobs in rural areas", insists Olivier Rousset, deputy director general of the ONF.
After two hours in the forest, three members of the group find the sun-drenched platforms of the Saint-Leu-la-Forêt station - the others have left by car.
25.000 senior civil servants
The State's ambition is to train all of its 25.000 senior civil servants in ecological transition by 2024, then the 5,7 million public officials by 2027. The government then expects that public sector executives develop action plans for ecological transition.
Coming from Bercy, the Ministry of Culture or even the Academy of Poitiers, all agree that the morning in the forest is interesting and, more generally, the training offered.
Thanks to this practical module, coupled with group workshops and conferences, "we feel that (environmental issues) are infusing" in the leading spheres of the State, advances a director of administration of the Ministry of the Economy.
An awareness already made this summer at the Ministry of Culture. With a temperature of “60 degrees” measured in the glazed buildings of the National Library of France, the heat wave had physically palpable effects, notes an official from the Book Department.
It remains to be seen how senior civil servants will share the knowledge acquired during the training with their teams and what impact this will have on public action.
As a senior official from the Ministry of the Armed Forces confesses at the end of an awareness module on the construction of low-carbon buildings, "it's a bit far removed" from the themes that concern him on a daily basis.
The role of the public authorities will however be crucial in responding to the challenges of climate change, Guillaume Carlier reminds around thirty senior officials gathered on Monday for this module in a tower in the Montparnasse district in Paris.
“By 2050, we must divide by five” the average carbon footprint of each French person, underlines in front of them the director of the Climate Resources strategy of Bouygues Immobilier, a company member of the Association for the Development of Low Carbon Building ( BBCA).
"The individual part (of this effort) is estimated at 25% and the part of the State and companies at 75%", he insists.