10 May Drought Alert: As Summer Approaches, 50% of France Is Already on Watch

Today, 10 May, #France’s Pyrénées-Orientales region was officially declared to be at drought "crisis" level. This is the fourth department to be so named. There are nearly 40 departments in France – covering nearly half the country – which are officially at ‘alert’ or ‘vigilance’ level. Restrictions have already been put in place and are expected to remain so for the foreseeable #future.

Said simply, springtime in France is not what it used to be, nor are any of our springtimes. These conditions portend not only a summer 2023 that screams of #climate change but also the sorts of conditions and restrictions we are likely to face year on year, within summer months and, increasingly, shoulder months during spring and autumn.

Outgoing Unilever Chief Executive Officer Alan Jope, during a speech made last week at the global consumer goods’ company’s HQ in London, called on #business #leadership to “work on the system, not in the system” to deliver more action in dealing with the #climatecrisis and other significant #environmental and #societal challenges.  He went on, further punctuating his message, by saying “The time for incrementality is long gone. The problems we’re facing are far too big for an incremental approach.”

Hear, hear!

What more can you do, both professionally and personally, to take the mantle, ‘be the change’ and do your bit to create a better, #sustainable future?