SOURCE: France24<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Emmanuel Macron’s promise to enshrine the fight against climate change in the French constitution via a referendum appeared moribund on Tuesday after the upper house watered down the ambitious wording of a government-sponsored bill.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The initiative to state in the constitution that France “guarantees environmental protection and biological diversity, and combats climate change<\/a>” originated in a citizen’s body set up by Macron<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeking the upper hand in what could be a key issue in next year’s presidential election, the French leader promised a referendum on the bill if it gained approval in both houses of parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The National Assembly, where Macron has a majority, overwhelmingly voted in favour of the revision in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when the bill then went to the Senate, the body — majority-ruled by the right-wing Republicans — removed a key provision from the draft law before backing a new version in a vote late Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under French law a referendum can go ahead only if it is approved in identical wording by both houses of parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n