The Climate & Resilience Bill passed in the National Assembly and the Senate: ecology in our lives

After several months of review and a conclusive joint committee, the deputies and senators definitively adopted the Climate & Resilience bill.

The Government welcomes the adoption of this law, which is intended to bring about a profound ecological transformation of French society, by initiating structural changes, for example in terms of artificialization of soils; as well as measures to accelerate the decarbonisation of housing and transport; or even cultural development measures through the supervision of advertising, information for more responsible consumption, environmental education, support for a less meaty diet.

Barbara Pompili, Minister of Ecological Transition: “Today we are bringing ecology into the lives of the French. With more than 305 articles and a field of action that touches all areas of daily life, from consumption to housing, including travel, it is the largest ecological law of the five-year term. I am proud to have carried this transformative text, and I would like to thank the parliamentarians for their intense and demanding work, which made it possible to enrich the text. The Ministry of Ecological Transition will be there to implement all the measures in the text as quickly as possible. "

Reminder of some key measures that bring ecology into our lives

Better informed citizens

The environmental issue is a central social issue which implies understanding and mastering its fundamentals from school. 78% of French people also say that they do not have enough ecological information on what they consume.

Affirmation of the fundamental and continuous role of education for sustainable development, from primary to high school

A dedicated committee in each establishment will program environmental awareness activities, which will strengthen the projects of eco-delegates and discovery trips in the middle of nature, for example.

Creation of an eco-score to display the environmental impact of goods and services consumed by the French

At the end of an experimentation phase, the display of the impact on the environment, in particular on the climate, of products and services will be standardized and compulsory.

Better framed advertising

Encouraging the overconsumption of polluting products is contradictory to the objectives of society's ecological transition.

Possibility for the mayor to regulate illuminated advertising devices in the window via the local advertising regulations

The mayors will be able to regulate the illuminated advertisements located inside the windows, and visible from the street (regulation of the size, the space allocated, the hours of use ...).

Experimentation of the “Yes pub” in voluntary local authorities

Faced with the massive waste of paper, up to 15 voluntary local authorities will experiment for 36 months with the “Yes advertising” system: only households that have displayed this label on their letterbox will receive printed matter.

End of advertising for fossil fuels

Advertising for fossil fuels will be banned from the second half of 2022. From 2028, advertising for the most polluting vehicles will also be banned, two years before the end of their sale.

Mandatory registration of climate impact on advertisements

It will be mandatory to indicate the climate impact of products in advertisements, with immediate application in the automotive and household appliance sectors.

Less packaging in the lives of French people

It is estimated that the equivalent of a lorry of plastic waste is poured into the sea every minute. Food packaging alone represents 820 tonnes of waste per year, or more than 000 kilos per French person.

20% of the sales area dedicated to bulk sales by 2030 in supermarkets and medium-sized stores (stores with more than 400 m² of sales)

In 10 years, supermarkets will have to organize themselves so that a fifth of their surface is dedicated to bulk. This ambition will automatically greatly reduce plastic waste and fundamentally change the habits of the French.

Support for renewable energies

In 2020, renewable energies represented more than 25% of the electricity produced. France is targeting 40% in 2030.

Development of citizen communities of renewable energies

The next PPE will formally define objectives for the production of renewable energies by citizen communities. The State will thus have to implement the necessary tools to support this production of green energy by and for all.

Extension of the obligation to revegetate or install photovoltaics on roofs and car parks

The obligation to install photovoltaics or green roofs during a construction, extension or major renovation will be extended to commercial areas with a lowering of the threshold to 500 m² of surface creation. It is also extended to office buildings of over 1 m² and to car parks of over 000m500.

A new biogas support framework

Natural gas suppliers will have to integrate a portion of biogas into the gas they market.

Less polluted cities

Air pollution, mainly linked to nitrogen oxide particles, 70% of which are generated by the circulation of cars and in particular old diesel vehicles, is responsible for 40 deaths per year.

Implementation of low-emission mobility zones (ZFE-m) in metropolitan agglomerations with more than 150 inhabitants by December 000, 31

All agglomerations with more than 150 inhabitants will have to set up an ZFE-m, ie 000 new ZFE-m. In the 33 metropolitan areas that regularly exceed air quality limit values, traffic bans for Crit'air 10 vehicles in 5, Crit'air 2023 in 4 and Crit'Air 2024 in 3 will be automatically scheduled.

An experiment with a zero-rate loan for the most modest households living in low-emission zones - New article voted on by the senators

A zero-rate loan will be tested for two years, from 2023, to help the poorest households living in EPZs to finance their change of vehicle, in addition to aid (conversion bonus, ecological bonus, etc. ) already planned.

End of sale of vehicles emitting more than 95 gCO2 / km in 2030

The sale of cars emitting more than 95 gCO2 / km will be banned in 2030, thus setting a path towards 2040. To be fully effective, this measure is also proposed by the European Commission as part of the Fit for 55.

Widening of the premium for conversion to electric bikes - New article voted on by MEPs

It will now be possible to scrap an old thermal vehicle and receive assistance for the purchase of an electrically assisted bicycle.

Less planes, more trains

We sometimes fly for short distances, even when an alternative by train, less polluting and sometimes faster, exists.

Ban on domestic flights when a train journey takes less than 2h30

Flights will be prohibited when there is an alternative by train in less than 2 hours, with the exception of flights mainly taken by connecting passengers to a more distant destination. Train-plane connections at airports will be made easier, like the recent combined tickets offered by SNCF and AirFrance.

Better insulated housing

4,8 million households live in poorly insulated housing and buildings are responsible for a quarter of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

Rent freeze for energy strainers

From 2023, owners of thermal strainers will be forced to carry out energy renovation work if they wish to increase the rent of their rental accommodation. This is an important first signal before the entry into force of the rental bans on the most energy-consuming homes.

Ban on the rental of less well-insulated housing

From 2025, it will be prohibited to rent the least well insulated thermal strainers (classified G label), and from 2028 for the rest of the strainers (classified F). And from 2034, it is classified housing E (addition voted by the deputies) which will be banned for renting. These accommodations will thus gradually be considered indecent under the law. The tenant can then require his owner to carry out work and several information, incentive and control mechanisms will reinforce this right for the tenant.

Financing of the remainder of the charge - new article voted by the deputies

All households, even those with the lowest incomes, will have access to a financing mechanism to pay the remainder of their renovation work. In particular, this may take the form of loans guaranteed by the State.

Less concreteing of the land

Every 10 years, the equivalent of a department the size of Yvelines disappears under the concrete. Artificialization accelerates the loss of biodiversity, amplifies the risk of flooding, reinforces dependence on private cars.

Division by 2 of the rate of soil artificialization

The rate of artificialization must be halved by 2030. Zero net artificialization must be reached by 2050. This measure will be applied by all local authorities.

General principle of prohibiting the creation of new commercial areas which would lead to artificialization of the land

The ban on the construction of new shopping centers, which would artificialize land without demonstrating their necessity according to a series of precise and binding criteria, will be the norm. No exception can be made for sales areas of more than 10 m000 and exemption requests for all projects with a sales area greater than 2 m3 will be examined by the Prefect.

More sustainable food

Animal husbandry causes 14,5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and the import of meat contributes to deforestation in countries like Brazil.

Daily choice of a vegetarian menu in state and university canteens, weekly menu in school canteens and experimentation for volunteer communities

Following the experimentation provided for by the Egalim law, school canteens will now have to offer a vegetarian menu at least once a week.

State and university canteens which already offer several menus will have to offer a vegetarian option from January 1, 2023.

Volunteer communities will be able to experiment with the daily vegetarian menu and thus enrich the assessment that will be conducted by the State.

Strengthening judicial protection of the environment

Better protection of our ecosystems requires a stronger environmental justice and better armed in the face of the degradation suffered by nature

Creation of an offense of endangering the environment

From now on, the fact of having exposed the environment to a risk of lasting degradation of fauna, flora or water by violating an obligation of safety or prudence may be punished with 3 years in prison and € 250. fine. Unlike the general offense of pollution, penalties may apply if the behavior is dangerous and the pollution has not taken place.

General offense of environmental pollution (flora, fauna and air, soil or water quality) and ecocide offense for the most serious cases

The most serious intentional attacks on the environment will be punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of 4,5 million euros (22,5 million euros for legal persons), or even a fine of up to ten times the benefit obtained by the perpetrator of the environmental damage.

Application calendar (non-exhaustive)

From the promulgation of the law

Environmental education in all schools.
Weekly vegetarian menus in all schools.
Power given to mayors to frame advertising screens in shop windows.
Strengthening of sanctions for infringements of environmental law.
End of shopping centers on natural or agricultural territories.
...

March 2022

End of heating on the terraces.
Airline closures when there is an alternative by train of less than 2h30.
First environmental displays on car and appliance advertisements.

One year after promulgation (second half of 2022)

End of the fossil fuel ad.
Rent freeze in thermal strainers (classified G and F) and mandatory energy audit

2022 / 2023

First environmental displays for food and textile products.

2023

Ban on renting G-rated accommodation (600000 accommodation).
Beginning of the application of bans on the circulation of polluting vehicles in the ten urban areas exceeding the air pollution thresholds: crit'air 5 in 2023, 4 in 2024, 5 in 2025.
Opening of the experiment for zero-interest loans to buy electric or hybrid vehicles in EPZs,
Daily vegetarian option in the canteens managed by the State (university canteens in particular).