A possible setback for France’s climate ambitions?

The French High Council for the Climate expresses its concerns and warns that France is falling behind on its climate commitments, despite a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2023.

Share:

Haut Conseil pour le climat retard transition

The French High Council for the Climate (HCC) sends a warning letter to the French Prime Minister, expressing concern about the delay in the fight against climate change. The letter, signed by Corinne Le Quéré, President of the HCC, highlights the delays in adopting key measures despite a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions announced for 2023.

The need to accelerate action

Despite a Citepa pre-estimate indicating a 4.8% drop in emissions by 2023, the HCC criticizes the lack of formal adoption of several important climate strategies. Among these, the Energy and Climate Programming Act and the National Low-Carbon Strategy have still not been officially adopted, highlighting a possible regression in France’s climate ambitions.

Structuring instruments on hold

The HCC, an independent body set up at the end of 2018, notes the lack of formal adoption of key documents to guide long-term climate action. These delays are perceived as a risk of rolling back the ambitions of French climate policy, a country which is aiming to reduce its emissions by 50% by 2030 in line with European commitments.

Public consultation relaunched

In response, the Prime Minister has launched a major public consultation on the National Low Carbon Strategy and the Multi-Year Energy Programming Act. The French Minister for Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, acknowledges the need to continue and intensify efforts, despite a notable silence from Matignon on the timetable and precise details of this strategy.

The President of the HCC calls for a climate adaptation policy that is anticipatory, preventive and transformative. It stresses the crucial importance of operational implementation of strategic frameworks for climate change mitigation, insisting that delaying action or reducing ambition would compromise the protection of the population.

Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.
French greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a global slowdown in reductions forecast for the full year, according to Citepa, an independent organisation responsible for national monitoring.
The Republican budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate accelerates the phase-out of tax credits for renewable energies, favoring fossil fuels and raising economic concerns among solar and wind industry professionals.
Rapid growth in solar and wind capacities will lead to a significant rise in electricity curtailment in Brazil, as existing transmission infrastructure remains inadequate to handle this massive influx of energy, according to a recent study by consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.
In April 2025, fossil fuels represented 49.5% of South Korea's electricity mix, dropping below the symbolic threshold of 50% for the first time, primarily due to a historic decline in coal-generated electricity production.
The US Senate Finance Committee modifies the '45Z' tax credit to standardize the tax treatment of renewable fuels, thereby encouraging advanced biofuel production starting October 2025.
According to the 2025 report on global energy access, despite notable progress in renewable energy, insufficient targeted financing continues to hinder electricity and clean cooking access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
While advanced economies maintain global energy leadership, China and the United States have significantly progressed in the security and sustainability of their energy systems, according to the World Economic Forum's annual report.
On the sidelines of the US–Africa summit in Luanda, Algiers and Luanda consolidate their energy collaboration to better exploit their oil, gas, and mining potential, targeting a common strategy in regional and international markets.
The UK's Climate Change Committee is urging the government to quickly reduce electricity costs to facilitate the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicles, judged too slow to achieve the set climate targets.
The European Commission will extend until the end of 2030 an expanded state-aid framework, allowing capitals to fund low-carbon technologies and nuclear power to preserve competitiveness against China and the United States.
Japan's grid operator forecasts an energy shortfall of up to 89 GW by 2050 due to rising demand from semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence technologies.
Energy-intensive European industries will be eligible for temporary state aid to mitigate high electricity prices, according to a new regulatory framework proposed by the European Commission under the "Clean Industrial Deal."
Mauritius seeks international investors to swiftly build a floating power plant of around 100 MW, aiming to secure the national energy supply by January 2026 and address current production shortfalls.
Madrid announces immediate energy storage measures while Lisbon secures its electrical grid, responding to the historic outage that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula in late April.
Indonesia has unveiled its new national energy plan, projecting an increase of 69.5 GW in electricity capacity over ten years, largely funded by independent producers, to address rapidly rising domestic demand.
French Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher condemns the parliamentary moratorium on new renewable energy installations, warning of the potential loss of 150,000 industrial jobs and increased energy dependence on foreign countries.