Following the climate march on December 8 through the streets of Fort-de-France, the I Poko Two Ta Matnik collective, which organized the event, wanted to thank the public for its increasingly active participation…
“Take action for the climate—thank you so much, you’re what drives us!”
“On Sunday, December 8, more than 150 citizens gathered in Fort-de-France for the Global Climate March and to advocate for the protection of biodiversity. You gathered together, chanted slogans, and felt the incredible energy that united all these committed citizens. For this year’s event, we chose the theme “motor-free,” with the motto “Take action for the climate—you’re the driving force!”
Indeed, it is important for the I POKO TWO TA MATNIK collective to engage and raise public awareness (…) about the need for sustainable transportation solutions in Martinique. With more than one million trips per day and between 2% and 3% new cars registered each year, it is immediately clear that to improve air quality and the quality of life, and to contribute to social equity, sustainable mobility plans must be rapidly integrated into land-use planning projects and into companies’ social responsibility initiatives.
The whole point of this demonstration was to show that a collective movement exists and that citizens have already taken action. But to make the energy transition a success, we also need political leadership to take urgent and far-reaching measures to combat the deterioration of our environment. Several companies, organizations, and public figures have decided to join our movement by encouraging their employees, members, or followers to demonstrate as well, in order to accelerate the fight against climate change. And we would like to thank them.”
Indeed, while the grassroots movement to combat global warming is gaining momentum around the world, political will often “lags behind,” and the necessary collective measures are slow to be implemented. For the Martinican collective, the most pressing issue concerns mobility and transportation. Given our complicated island situation, no satisfactory collective solution has yet emerged—despite the ambitious TCSP project—and 40,000 cars still travel daily on the Fort-de-France bypass! However, according to the collective, several municipalities have already begun a transition and are demonstrating their commitment to bringing about a change in behavior, such as the City of Fort-de-France, which, under the Mobility Law, has implemented a “mobility plan” for all its employees. The city is, in fact, involved in the zero-emission project and the pedestrianization of the downtown area. The City of Le Prêcheur is, of course, the one that has been most committed so far to a positive transition, and Saint-Esprit is following suit, with new measures in its local urban development plans (PLUs).
But according to the group, “There needs to be a synergy of resources among all stakeholders.”.
If you’d like to join this citizen-led movement to highlight the urgent need for action, follow its news and calls to action on the I POKO TWO TA MATNIK collective’s Facebook page here!
Or contact them by email: ipokotwotamatnik@gmail.com
Nathalie Laulé
