Édouard Philippe proposes €2B climate adaptation fund and French water bombers in 2027 pitch

Adaptation platform in Maine-et-Loire

On Thursday, 17 September 2026, Horizons presidential candidate and mayor of Le Havre Édouard Philippe presented his environmental platform in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. Speaking along the banks of the Loire river, which experienced flood peaks in February 2026 followed by dry conditions during the summer, the former prime minister focused his campaign strategy on climate adaptation. Philippe defined the program as a sovereign climate security policy, placing state authority and collective protection at the center of his platform. During a visit to the Souzay orchards in Corzé, Philippe met with fruit grower Édith Emereau, who took over the drought-damaged property six years ago, to discuss water access and agricultural viability. In a speech delivered later that evening in Les Ponts-de-Cé near Angers, Philippe detailed government actions needed to prepare French infrastructure, agriculture, and emergency services for climate shifts.

Proposed adaptation fund and state measures

The policy proposal establishes a single climate adaptation fund with an annual budget of 2 billion euros. As part of this initiative, Philippe called for the domestic production of French water-bomber aircraft during the next five-year presidential mandate to improve firefighting capacity. The candidate also proposed creating an environmental national service alongside an annual national alert day to educate and mobilize the public for extreme weather events. The proposal outlines three broad structural initiatives: an infrastructure adaptation plan, a mountain territory plan, and a public swimming plan. Addressing supporters in Les Ponts-de-Cé, Philippe stated that France entered a new era following the extreme conditions of summer 2026.

“We will not choose the climate of 2050, it will impose itself on us. But we can choose the France that will face it. We can decide to be ready.”

Water management and agricultural policy

Water management represents a core component of the adaptation strategy presented in the Loire basin. Philippe proposed building storage capacity for surplus rainwater and increasing the reuse of treated wastewater rather than drawing from underground water tables during dry periods. Addressing regional agricultural challenges following a summer of reduced river flows and drought, Philippe argued that cutting water access would dismantle domestic food production rather than protect the environment. He told local growers that agricultural policy must secure essential water resources to ensure the survival of regional farms.

“We are going to store water, because an agriculture without water is not a greener agriculture. It is an agriculture that disappears.”

Political positioning for 2027

Philippe positioned his proposals as a liberal, market-compatible approach to environmental policy, attempting to establish a middle path between rival political movements ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He directly criticized Marine Le Pen and the National Rally for climate skepticism, noting her visit on Thursday to residents affected by summer wildfires in Le Porge in Gironde. Philippe simultaneously rejected the anti-capitalist positions of Jean-Luc Mélenchon and La France Insoumise, arguing that adaptation must work alongside economic activity. While touring the Corzé apple orchards, Philippe echoed former president Jacques Chirac by telling listeners to eat apples, while reflecting on the progression of his own environmental views.

“I was not born into political ecology. This awareness came to me gradually.”

Philippe concluded his address by describing climate adaptation as one of three central challenges facing France in the coming century.