The High Council for Climate deplores numerous “setbacks” on decarbonization in France

The High Council for Climate (HCC) put pressure on François Bayrou's government on Thursday, calling for a "collective leap forward" at a time when the pace of decarbonization in France is slowing and certain measures, such as building renovation, are being "setbacks."

Under pressure from right-wing parties, the far right, LFI or certain members of the central bloc depending on the issues, several texts have also recorded setbacks in Parliament in recent weeks on the subject of land artificialization (zero net artificialization, ZAN) or the restriction of the most polluting vehicles in large cities (low emission zones, ZFE).

"We need a collective surge to relaunch climate action, with a clear public action framework, structural actions, solid governance and well-defined targets," said Jean-François Soussana , the agronomist who chairs the HCC.

This independent body, established in 2018 by President Emmanuel Macron, is composed of twelve experts tasked with assessing the government's climate action and issuing recommendations. In March, it warned that France was "not yet ready" for global warming, which is already reaching +2.2°C in the country between 2015 and 2024. This observation remains relevant as the country gradually emerges from a long, intense, and premature heatwave.

"This type of heatwave illustrates that in some cases we can reach adaptation limits with significant impacts, for example on health," emphasizes Jean-François Soussana. The measures contained in the government's adaptation plan "are still out of step with vulnerabilities and needs," regrets the HCC.

In its annual report entitled "Relaunching climate action in the face of worsening impacts and weakening management" , it points out that the rate of decline in greenhouse gas emissions slowed significantly in 2024 (-1.8%). The decline remained strong for energy production, but stalled in other sectors (agriculture, buildings, industry, transport, etc.). However, the rate will have to double to achieve France's 2030 objectives. Experts even point out that a large part (70%) of this reduction can be attributed to "conjunctural" factors, such as mild winter weather or the restart of nuclear reactors.

"Breeders have a difficult life and earn a poor living, and so more and more farms are closing down. So this is what we call a cyclical effect, because it is not a desired political phenomenon," gives as an example Marion Guillou, member of the HCC and food specialist.

The HCC also regrets "setbacks" which have "often affected measures that have been very popular with individuals" : social leasing (renting electric vehicles to low-income households), support for rooftop solar panels or building renovation. "The clarity of France's climate policy has been called into question by these setbacks, creating a lack of visibility for the private sector and for local authorities," the report states.

MaPrimeRénov', state aid for energy renovation of homes, is currently suspended for new major renovation projects until mid-September. President Macron himself had expressed his dissatisfaction, criticizing the "uncertainties" surrounding certain measures.

The HCC also cites the setbacks recorded in Parliament regarding ZANs or ZFEs. The experts repeat their criticism of the delays in publishing certain key texts for energy and climate and deplore the "weakening" of the General Secretariat for Ecological Planning, an organization attached to Matignon.

Internationally, they also suggest "relaunching France's climate diplomacy." The European Commission on Wednesday submitted to member states its objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% in 2040 compared to 1990, with "flexibilities."

No vote will take place until September, so the timeline is very tight before the UN climate conference (COP30), in November in Brazil. The EU must unveil its climate roadmap to 2035 before this major event. "This delay weakens the EU's position in the context of COP30 and contributes to the relaxation of international pressure on raising climate ambition," the authors regret.