Transport, housing and offices are decarbonizing too slowly in France

Decarbonization of transport almost at a standstill

Transport was the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in France in 2024, with 126 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2e) out of 366 emitted in France this year.

A figure that is very slightly down compared to 2023 (-0,7%).

The decline in emissions from road transport (-0,7%), the main emitter in the sector, is explained by "the decrease in fuel sales" between 2023 and 2024, especially diesel (-3%), writes Citepa.

The use of road vehicles does not appear to have decreased, with total measured journeys stable over the first nine months of 2024 compared to 2023, according to ministerial figures.

The electrification of the fleet has stalled, with a drop of more than 3% in electric vehicle registrations in 2024, according to figures compiled by the National Association for the Development of Electric Mobility (Avere).

Air transport has become more decarbonized: -4,3% compared to 2023, after a reduction of 3,4% between 2023 and 2022.

A decrease which "could be explained by the gradual increase" in the use of biokerosene, estimates Citepa.

"A reduced use of domestic flights by the French" may also have played a role: the number of travelers on domestic flights for the first nine months of 2024 fell by 4% compared to 2023, according to INSEE.

Housing and offices are struggling

Emissions from housing and buildings in the tertiary sector, mainly related to heating, also decreased slightly in 2024: -1,1% compared to 2023. This is much less than the -11,6% from the energy sector.

In total, the residential and tertiary sector emitted around 58 Mt CO2e in 2024, or almost 17% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

The slight decrease can be explained in particular by milder temperatures in 2024 than in 2023, and therefore a lower need for heating.

But at the same time, the number of energy renovations of buildings has fallen sharply in 2024: -40% compared to 2023, according to figures from the National Housing Agency (ANAH).

Energy renovation, particularly building insulation, is one of the main ways in which France plans to decarbonize buildings.

In 2024, the Anah (National Agency for Energy Efficiency) had earmarked a budget of over €5 billion for the energy renovation of French homes. However, only €3,29 billion in aid has been paid out.

According to the Anah, this is due to a "time taken to get to grips with" the reform of the MaPrimeRénov subsidy system in 2024, which notably made it mandatory for major renovation projects to be monitored by a "My Renovation Supporter (MAR)" agent.