President Emmanuel Macron on Monday convened France’s first ecological planning council in over a year and a half, aiming to “remobilise” government efforts as the pace of emissions reductions slows.
The meeting brought together some 15 ministers to assess progress on France’s climate goals and launch new initiatives – particularly targeting the transport, building and forestry sectors.
“There is a slight slowdown in the reduction of emissions,” the Élysée Palace said on Friday, acknowledging that greenhouse gas emissions fell by just 1.8 percent in 2024 according to preliminary estimates.
This reduced pace threatens France’s ability to meet its European commitment to halve emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
“This is one of the president’s motivations for convening this ecological planning council and relaunching mobilisation in certain sectors where we feel we’re not fully on track to reach our objectives,” a presidential source told reporters.
Focus on transport, housing
The council is particularly focused on transport and buildings, which remain significant sources of carbon emissions, as well as forestry, where carbon absorption has fallen below expectations.
“In these three sectors, there are a number of existing mechanisms that could potentially be strengthened,” the Élysée said.
RFI
