"We have forgotten the rivers!
The atmosphere has changed since the failure of the previous COP six years ago at Copenhagen.
The sceptics have laid down their arms, vanquished by the evidence. Yes, the climate is
undergoing changes the causes of which no one disputes the many origins, and YES, human
activities are participating in this degradation. Yes, we must act quickly before the spiral into which
we are drawn becomes as dangerous as it is uncontrollable. ...
The task is huge. Let us repeat: rivers are here for all of us, for better or worse, and they are vital
partners. Let us give them all the attention they deserve.
This the reason why, gathered together in Lyon by CNR (Compagnie Nationale du Rhône) to
launch the Initiatives for the Future of Great Rivers, we ask Laurent Fabius, Ségolène Royal and
Laurence Tubiana, to give rivers their rightful place in the COP 21 negotiations. From Canada to
Laos, from Paraguay to Bangladesh, and from the Rhone to Senegal, answers exist and can exist
to contribute to the combat against climate change and to promote energy transition. Let us make
sure that rivers do not remain forgotten at the COP21."