France Struggles to Reduce its Greenhouse Gas Emissions

France has taken several measures to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
It has implemented policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions, encourage the use of renewable energy, promote energy efficiency, and apply taxes on fossil fuels. France has also adopted the Climate Plan, which provides a framework for implementing policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The initiatives taken by France should have a positive impact on its emissions in the long term, provided that the country continues to invest in sustainable and low-carbon solutions.

It also includes programs aimed at promoting the development of renewable energies, including wind and solar power, and improving transportation efficiency. Greenhouse gas emission reductions will also be supported by mitigation measures such as forest improvement, land management, and soil conservation.

To compensate for its nuclear fleet and transportation challenges, France is increasingly turning to fossil fuels. Consequently, the country is working hard to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions have almost stagnated (-0.3%) in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period in 2021, according to provisional data from Citepa (Interprofessional Technical Center for Air Pollution Studies), the agency responsible for establishing France’s emission inventory.

The main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the industry are factories and industrial activities that produce and consume fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil. These fuels are burned to produce energy, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Other sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the industry include factories that produce chemicals and factories that manufacture products. Production processes, including fuel refining, steel and aluminum production, wastewater treatment, and chemical manufacturing, are also significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. However, emissions from the general industry have decreased by 5% (53.9 million tons CO2 equivalent), according to Citepa. Thus, there is a -2% for chemicals, -5% for agri-food, -11% for ferrous metals, and -4% for non-metallic minerals and construction materials.

Greenhouse gases and CO2 are closely related. Greenhouse gases are gases that absorb and retain heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. CO2 is one of the main greenhouse gases and is responsible for more than 65% of the greenhouse effect. Other greenhouse gases include methane, nitrous oxide, and nitrous oxide. The concentrations of these greenhouse gases are increasing significantly, leading to higher average temperatures and observed climate changes worldwide. The main sectors that emit greenhouse gases are as follows:

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there are several measures that can be taken:

• Make more efficient energy choices by installing renewable energy systems (solar, wind, geothermal, etc.) and energy-efficient technologies.
• Reduce waste and recycle more to avoid methane emissions from landfill sites.
• Make buildings more energy-efficient by using insulation materials, installing energy-efficient equipment, and using renewable energy sources.
• For businesses: adopt more sustainable practices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Use more sustainable and fuel-efficient transportation, such as cycling, public transportation, or carpooling.

This relative stabilization of greenhouse gas emissions is not good news. If France wants to meet its climate commitments, it must redouble its efforts. According to the government’s roadmap to combat climate change, the National Low Carbon Strategy (SNBC), France must reduce by an average of 16 million tons by 2030, a decrease of 4.7%.