Greenhouse gases: reductions proposed by the government for each sector

France must go from 408 million tons of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2e) in 2022 to 270 million in 2030. Compared to 1990, the reference year used in Europe, the objective is -50% in 2030, and -55% "net", if we include carbon sinks such as soils and forests, which is the European objective.

Transportation

It is the first station of emissions of the territory (approximately a third of the total), and the circulation does not cease increasing. For the government, these emissions must go from 129 million tonnes of CO2 per year in 2022 to 92 Mt in 2030.

While half of the problem comes from private vehicles, the plan relies on their electrification (-11 Mt), teleworking, carpooling...

The transfer of passengers to public transport (-5 Mt) could be done, for example, by favoring the infrastructures around the stations (load shedding car parks, access buses), a subject of current discussion for the next State- Regions.

With the e-commerce boom, logistics must urgently decarbonize: optimization of loading, electrified or hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles (-5 Mt), rail and river freight (-4 Mt), "sobriety" in goods ( -7 Mt)...

In the air sector, sustainable fuels would allow -2 Mt, such as controlling demand.

The building

This item (18% of current emissions, residential and tertiary included) should see its GHG reduced by half, from 64 to 30 Mt.

This will have to go through "efficient" energy renovation (residential being made up of 11% of "strainer" houses and 7% of "strainer" buildings). The government is also aiming for the gradual disappearance of oil-fired boilers, already the subject of bans, but also, new, the replacement of gas boilers.

This last point is burning because an entire economic sector lives off gas and electric heat pumps are expensive.

Industry

This sector has already seen its emissions decline due to both deindustrialization and process changes. But from 72 Mt in 2022, its emissions will have to fall to 45 in 2030, with a large share of decarbonization expected from large industrial sites.

agriculture

The sector is set with more modest targets, from 81 Mt of emissions today to 68 Mt in 2030.

However, it will have to reduce those related to nitrogen fertilizers (-6 Mt).

The government also expects the continued decline in meat consumption in France to lead to a saving of 5 Mt within seven years, we explain to Matignon.

Other

The plan also counts on the exit from coal and gas in the production of electricity in France (-11 Mt). Or on lower emissions from waste treatment (-9 Mt), through their transformation into energy or recycling.

As for the forest, while the forest sink in mainland France has been halved since 2010, the plan is prudent and does not expect any major gain in 2030, due to an increase in withdrawals (for energy and wood products) and in a context of aggravated climate change affecting the mortality and growth of trees.