The government announces an additional 10 billion euros for the ecological transition

“Protecting purchasing power, (...) this requires ecological planning,” assured Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday September 19 before the National Refoundation Council, while energy prices are soaring. A subject of tension, the question of the connection between ecology and purchasing power was brought up in the meeting held on the subject with the political parties on Monday in Matignon.

Several party leaders called for “very strong regulation” of the price of electricity, according to Matignon.

“Some fear that the ecological transition is synonymous with a drop in purchasing power. On the contrary, it is the absence of transition that would lead to this, because we would be eternally subject to shocks on prices and therefore on purchasing power ", affirmed the Prime Minister.

“Protecting purchasing power therefore involves phasing out fossil fuels, renovating housing, relocating. This involves controlling electricity costs (...) In a word, it involves ecological planning", added the head of government.

She detailed the distribution of the additional 10 billion euros which will be committed to the ecological transition, seven of which will be spent in 2024.

"The most modest households (...) are those which pollute the least, but which are the most impacted by pollution" and which "are the least equipped to face this transition", underlined at the end of the CNR Noam Leandri, president of the Alerte collective which brings together 34 associations fighting against poverty. He calls for “much more concrete” measures in their favor.

The representatives of the communities asked for "adapted means" for this transition, reported for the Association of rural mayors Yvan Lubraneskin, while for the U2P (Union of local businesses), Michel Picon called for "time" to adapt.

In July, the government postponed the presentation of this roadmap, in particular because of the riots and the reshuffle.

He promises a "very concrete" and "very operational" plan in order to "be at the European meeting" of the 55% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 compared to 1990, and to " project towards carbon neutrality in 2050".

The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron must speak on the subject on Monday, before the presentation, on September 27 in the Council of Ministers, of the draft budget for 2024.

Where will the additional billions go?

Building, agriculture and biodiversity in mind, the government detailed on Tuesday before the National Refoundation Council (CNR) the distribution of the additional 10 billion euros committed to the ecological transition, of which 7 billion will be spent in 2024.

Elisabeth Borne, accompanied by five ministers, presented the ecological planning for which she is responsible to the various stakeholders of the CNR: representatives of employers' organizations, trade unions, consular chambers, environmental associations or the fight against poverty.

Emmanuel Macron is due to speak on the subject on Monday, before the presentation to the Council of Ministers of the draft budget for 2024 next Wednesday.

In total, the State will commit 10 billion euros in “additional investments”, of which 7 billion will actually be “disbursed” next year.

According to think tank I4CE, the 2023 budget included around €28 billion in spending on ecological planning.

In detail, this new envelope of 10 billion will be distributed as follows:

AGRICULTURE and BIODIVERSITY: +2,3 billion

500 million for the forest (reforestation and downstream forestry)
500 million for the water plan
500 million for carbon diagnosis or hedges
400 million for biodiversity
300 million for the phytosanitary plan (excluding France 2030, a plan, announced in 2021, which aims to develop industrial competitiveness and future technologies)
100 million for the protein plan