France has pledged to hit net zero emissions by the middle of the century to combat climate change. But while the country has achieved notable greenhouse gas emissions reductions in recent decades, it still releases more than 400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) every year (including LULUCF and international aviation) and it is also the second-
, only behind Germany.
Sources of GHG emissions in France
With a share of 30 percent, the transportation sector is the
largest source of GHG emissions in France. These
emissions stem primarily from road transportation, with passenger cars alone emitting almost 70 MtCO2 in 2022. The industry and agriculture sectors tie as the second-biggest emitters in France, with each contributing 19 percent of total GHG emissions in 2021.
As the second-most populous country in the EU, France is also one of the bloc’s biggest energy consumers. Yet, unlike many other European countries, France has a low-carbon power sector that accounts for a relatively small share of its total emissions. This is mainly due to the country’s nuclear fleet, which accounts more than 60 percent of
France's electricity production and is the reason the country has one of the least
carbon-intensive power sectors in the EU, emitting just 84 g CO2/kWh in 2022. By comparison, Poland, which is heavily dependent on coal-fired power, emitted more than 600 g CO2/kWh.
Pathway to net zero in France
Since 1990, France has cut its GHG emissions by almost 25 percent. The European country had previously set the
goal of reducing its emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and reaching net zero by 2050. In 2023, the French government increased its interim target to bring France’s climate ambitions more in line with the
EU-wide GHG emissions reduction target of 55 percent below 1990 levels. To achieve this ambitious new target, the country aims to ramp up climate-related investments in the coming years. Under a national ‘ecological plan’, billions of euros are planned to go into areas such as building energy efficiency, developing energy technologies, boosting offshore wind farms and electric vehicle production, as well as improving public transportation infrastructure. The country has also announced plans to end the use of coal-fired power plants by 2027. As of 2021, existing policies and measures left
France off track to reach its emissions targets by 2050.
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