– 4.6%, this is the drop in greenhouse gas emissions over the first 9 months of the year compared to the same period in 2022 in France. These results are welcomed by the executive who sees them as the fruits of its environmental policy, but it is still necessary to add some nuances.
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The trend is good, but it still needs to be amplified. This is, in a few words, France’s situation with regard to its objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
To achieve the announced goal of -55% in 2030, they must in fact be reduced by 5% each year. With 4.6% over the first nine months of this year, the trajectory is correct. In detail, the energy (- 9.4%), industry (- 9.3%) and construction (- 7.5%) sectors held their passage times, conversely , transport is still complicated to decarbonize. The country’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the sector only saw its emissions drop by 1.8%. Air transport continues to see its emissions increase: + 21% for domestic flights over the first nine months, and + 27% for international flights.
Good results thanks to the economic situation
Another downside is that a large part of these results is due to cyclical and non-structural elements: mild winter, energy crisis and inflation played a significant role in this decline. This reduction is also insufficient if we take the objective of limiting global warming to +1.5°C. Greenhouse gas emissions should then fall by more than 6% each year.
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