ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the history of French environmentalism. The French environmental movement can be traced back to the first conservationist association founded by Isadore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. The influence of the events of 1968 on environmentalism has been noted by different commentators and, indeed, it would seem a fundamental reference point in any understanding of the new content and forms of political expression that the environmentalists have tried to institute. With regard to electoral progress, the first environmental candidate to stand in an election was at Mulhouse in March 1973 for the legislative elections of that year. It was no surprise that this first campaign took place in the east of France, given its geographical position placing it at the heart of Europe and leaving it open to influences from other countries. Between 1970 and 1974, environmentalism began to make inroads into different sectors of French society.
