The Île-de-France Regional Agency for Nature and Biodiversity was born of the political will of the Europe-Ecologie-les-Verts group of elected representatives on the Île-de-France Regional Council. It has been endowed with significant resources.
Other regions in France and Europe had already set up agencies, organizations and structures dedicated to nature conservation. Most of them had been created in high-stake regions, either because of the degradation of abandoned mining or industrial installations (Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Alsace), or because of their exceptional natural heritage (Rhône-Alpes). Île-de-France is by far the most densely populated region in France. It’s also one of the smallest in terms of territory, so its natural spaces are rare.
Limiting the agency’s mission solely to the protection of endangered species and natural areas, given the human and financial resources allocated to us and the emerging trends elsewhere in Europe (Sweden, Germany, Switzerland), was not commensurate with the capital region’s ambitions.
With a team of naturalists, scientists and engineers, the regional agency’s strategy was to focus on the issue of nature in the city.
The challenge of protecting nature has been broadened to include the preservation of biodiversity – in the sense of preserving what constitutes the basis of life on Earth, by emphasizing the complex interactions that govern the “living fabric of the planet”.
This strategy was reflected in:

• setting up a biodiversity observatory with and for naturalists in Île-de-France;
• regular meetings organized for and with regional players to identify the most virtuous practices for biodiversity, discuss the conditions for their success, and learn from the pitfalls encountered;
• organizing European and national events: an annual symposium and the French Capital of Biodiversity Award;
• a plea for recognition of local government action to preserve biodiversity – Nagoya 2010;
• the publication of guides such as “Building while preserving Biodiversity”, “Biodiversity’s balance – A methodology to integrate nature in accounting” and “Economy and Biodiversity, producing and consuming in the bounds of the biosphere”.

June 2013 is the first mission to Africa for Nicolas Hulot in his role as Special Envoy of the French President for the protection of the planet. 3 countries: Gabon, Congo and DRC. Initial objective: to mobilize these countries to reach an ambitious climate agreement in Paris in 2015. On the agenda: meetings with Heads of State and relevant ministers, as well as with companies, environmental protection organizations and scientists.
Very quickly, France’s policies to the fight against the trafficking of endangered species, and more specifically against ivory trafficking, was denounced as lax. Back to Paris: indeed, compared to the policies implemented by our American, British and German friends, France is lagging behind.
I followed this project as an advisor to Nicolas Hulot.
All the efforts of French diplomacy and administration were then mobilized for the climate in the run-up to COP21, and elephant protection was not on the agenda. An Africa-France Summit is scheduled for the end of December 2013.
One solution: appeal to public opinion. On July 4th, the newly-appointed Special Envoy published his first article in the daily newspaper Le Monde, entitled “It’s urgent to save the African elephants”.
On the basis of this appeal, with the French Ambassador for the Environment, Jean-Pierre Thébault, we worked to i) mobilize French administrations to raise the bar in the fight against the trafficking of endangered species, and ii) prepare a round table in the margin of the Africa-France Summit to mobilize African states around this objective.
Results:

• a national action plan that placed France among the most advanced countries in the fight against poaching and trafficking of endangered species;
• chaired by French Environment Minister Philippe Martin, the round table brought together some twenty delegations, including 9 led by their Heads of State and Government. It was held on December 5, 2013.

• What motivation do we have to act now for benefits we can’t see immediately?
• What voices speak to the greatest number of people, across languages, cultures and borders?

When we phrase the questions in these terms, the answer comes: religious and moral authorities, great scientists, artists and personalities committed to protecting the planet have the power to speak to our consciences. Let’s not forget that all the world’s religions and wisdoms call for the protection of life and creation, whatever we call it…
Starting in 2013, I’m working on behalf of Nicolas Hulot to mobilize religious authorities and representatives of world wisdom, both nationally and internationally.
In January 2015, in the wake of the attack on the editorial offices of Charlie Hebdo, France was denounced by many believers around the world as an anti-religious country. The idea then occurred to me to show what this French concept of “laïcité” is, French secularism, this right to believe or not to believe. And to do so by showing that it is possible, in action, to unite all those who can act for the most beautiful of common causes: this “future we want” according to the United Nations’ consecrated formula.
This is how the idea of the “Summit of Conscience for the Climate” was born, to be held on July 21, 2015 in Paris.
It saw the light of day under the aegis of François Hollande, President of the French Republic, and thanks to…

• The mobilization of the Bayard Presse Group, then headed by Georges Sanerot, who delegated Agnès Rochefort-Turquin, Catherine Veillet-Michelet and Dominique Lang, journalist with Le Pèlerin and author of the blog https://eglisesetecologies.com/, to accompany us on all our missions to the Vatican.
• The commitment of R20, the network of Regions for Climate, led at the time by Christophe Nuttall and chaired by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• The unfailing support of Jean-Paul Delevoye, then President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, which hosted the event.
• The partnership forged with ARC, the Alliance of Religion and Conservation (ARC), of which Martin Palmer was then Secretary General, and which hosted the Summit.
• And the participation of numerous people – French diplomats and volunteers – who, individually, worked to convince and bring together the 40 or so participants representing the world’s religions and wisdoms, as well as political figures, artists, scientists and planet defenders.