France has launched the final public consultation phase of its third Stratégie nationale bas-carbone (SNBC 3), the central document guiding its long-term environmental planning. This text outlines the country’s roadmap to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, in alignment with recently adopted European commitments. Its official release is expected in the first quarter of 2026, after contributions from stakeholders have been integrated.
A quantified trajectory through 2050
SNBC 3 targets a 50% reduction in territorial greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The strategy also outlines the end of coal-fired electricity production by 2027, the progressive phase-out of oil by 2045, and fossil gas by 2050. The objective is to balance emissions with the territory’s absorption capacities, such as natural carbon sinks including forests and soils.
The document also aims to reduce final energy consumption through energy sobriety and efficiency across all sectors, while ensuring the availability of decarbonised energy, particularly electricity and biomass. The strategy underlines the importance of energy sovereignty within a broader context of national industrial restructuring.
Industrial and territorial levers
The strategy presents the energy transition as a lever for industrial competitiveness, calling for the alignment of economic sectors with decarbonisation pathways. For the first time, it also aims to integrate imported carbon emissions, promoting supply chains aligned with European standards.
The project was developed over three years with the involvement of all relevant ministries, industrial sectors, local authorities and scientific experts. It is based on realistic assumptions regarding the evolution of usage, such as the electrification of mobility and reduced energy waste.
A structuring framework for public policy
The government positions SNBC 3 as a strategic guide for economic actors and local authorities, aiming to provide visibility on the investments required for energy transformation. Heat pumps, battery production, rail transport and low-carbon materials are among the priority sectors identified in this industrial shift.
The strategy calls for local-level implementation to ensure that the most suitable levers are applied in each context. It draws on France’s structural advantages, including a largely decarbonised power mix, to support its phased deployment.
Monique Barbut, Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature, stated: “The launch of this final consultation phase for the SNBC 3 project, ten years after the Paris Agreement, symbolises the continuity of France’s climate commitment. This strategy outlines the future of a decarbonised and sovereign France.”
