Reducing carbon emissions: Progress and challenges of the SNBC.
It outlines a trajectory for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 2050 and sets short- and medium-term targets. It provides for a gradual reduction of millions of tons of CO₂ with the ambition of achieving carbon neutrality 2050.
This strategy commits the various sectors to drawing up their GHG inventories and adapting their practices to limit their impact on the climate and promote a more sustainable model.
Indeed, companies and public decision-makers are mobilized to adapt their infrastructures and adopt lower-emission technologies, while complying with competition rules and aligning themselves with new regulations based on accurate data.
By establishing a clear framework for reducing the carbon footprint of the main sectors, the SNBC makes it possible to closely monitor the country's emissions balance and analyze their climate impact through data. Each sector, whether transport, industry or energy, is subject to GHG reduction targets, in order to limit the effect of human activities on climate change and sustainably improve management of the country's environmental footprint.
What progress has the SNBC made in the transport, energy, building, industry, forestry and waste management sectors? What initiatives and results have been achieved in these areas thanks to the data collected?
Progress and challenges of the ecological transition in key sectors
The report on ecological transition highlights the progress made at various levels in the fight against climate change. However, major challenges remain to make this transition truly sustainable, particularly in key sectors of the economy.
⚡ Energy
The energy production sector accounts for 10% of France's national carbon footprint. The French National Low-Carbon Strategy (Stratégie Nationale Bas-Carbone - SNBC) aims to reduce emissions by 33% by 2030 compared with 2015, with almost complete decarbonization by 2050. The aim is to limit the energy sector'scarbon footprint by relying on sustainable and renewable sources.
✅ Controlling energy demand: The focus is on improving energy efficiency and promoting energy sobriety to reduce overall energy consumption. In 2023, this approach contributed to a 3% drop in electricity consumption.
✅ Decarbonization and diversification of the energy mix: France continues to develop its renewable and recovered energy sources, while increasing the production of low-carbon electricity. In 2023, this translated into an increase in nuclear production (+41.5 TWh) and renewable energies such as hydro (+9 TWh), wind (+12 TWh), and solar (+3 TWh). These efforts have reduced our dependence on thermal power plants, particularly those fuelled by gas and coal.
As a result of these efforts, in 2023, emissions from electricity generation in France reached an all-time low of 16.1 Mt CO2etheir lowest level since the 1950s. Emissions from the French power sector now account for less than 5% of the national carbon footprint, well below the European average of 20.9%.
🚚 Transportation
The transport sector is currently the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) in France, accounting for around 30% of the tonnes of CO2 emitted each year.
The National Low-Carbon Strategy aims to achieve almost complete decarbonization of the transport sector by 2050, by focusing on..:
- mass electrification of vehicles,
- the use of biofuels and biogas
- the introduction of quotas for public and private fleets.
The aim is for 100% of new passenger car sales to be electric by 2040, with a five-fold increase in electric vehicle sales since 2022.
Companies are mobilizing to adopt more sustainable products and technologies in line with climate objectives.
Energy efficiency is also a priority, with reduced consumption targets for new vehicles, and efficiency gains planned for heavy goods vehicles.
Freight transport, which is slower to electrify, will rely on a varied energy mix and a reduction in traffic thanks to a modal shift towards more environmentally-friendly options such as rail and river freight.
Finally, the SNBC forecasts a moderate increase in passenger traffic (+26% by 2050), offset by telecommuting and the development of public transport, with a slight reduction in private car traffic and limited growth in heavy goods vehicle traffic (+12%).
By 2050, however, it could still account for a third of national emissions, despite ambitious reduction targets.
According to initial estimates by Citepaestimates, road transport accounts for 119 Mt CO2e, or almost a third of the country's total emissions. The reduction in emissions, estimated at 3.4% between 2022 and 2023, is part of an overall downward trend that began in 2015, albeit at a slow pace (-0.8% per year on average between 2015 and 2019).
The Covid-19 pandemic caused an exceptional drop in emissions from this sector in 2020, of over 16%, due to travel restrictions. However, emissions rebounded in 2021 and 2022 as economic activity picked up. In 2023, the observed reduction is the result of several factors.
Emission reduction factors :
- Short-term effects: Higher fuel prices had an immediate impact, limiting non-essential travel and thus helping to reduce emissions.
- Medium- and long-term effects :
- The gradual replacement of the car fleet with more fuel-efficient vehicles, especially electric ones, is playing a key role in this trend.
- The modal shift towards more environmentally-friendly solutions, such as car-sharing and soft modes of transport (cycling, walking), also contributes to reducing GHG emissions.
Despite these advances, reducing emissions from road transport remains a major challenge, requiring sustained efforts to accelerate the transition to more sustainable, less polluting modes of transport.
🏗️ The building
Emissions from the building sector, responsible for 23% of the national carbon footprint, were significantly reduced by 2023. Measures such as thermal renovation and the adoption of more sustainable practices are helping to reduce the ecologicalfootprint, while helping France to meet its climate targets. Building contractors are encouraged to use low-carbon products to contribute to this movement.
The building sector, responsible for 23% of of national greenhouse gas emissions, has seen a significant reduction in its emissions, reaching 58.4 Mt CO2e in 2023. This result is better than the SNBC target of 71 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2023. This level, the lowest since 1990, is the result of initiatives such as thermal renovations supported by the MaPrime'Renov program. Adopting more sustainable practices contributes to reducing the ecologicalfootprint, while helping France to meet its climate targets .
Milder weather conditions in 2023 have also led to a reduction in heating requirements, helping to reduce emissions in this sector. In addition, rising energy prices and inflation have encouraged many households to adopt more eco-responsible behavior.
🏗️ Industry
The industrial sector, responsible for 19% of national GHG emissions, is aiming for a reduction of 35% by 2030 and 81% by 2050, in line with the objectives of the SNBC. Key recommended actions include:
- the transition to low-carbon production systems,
- improving energy efficiency,
- and the use of less carbon-intensive materials via the circular economy.
By 2023, emissions from the industrial sector by 7.8% compared to 2022mainly thanks to reductions in the non-metallic minerals, chemicals and metallurgy sub-sectors.
- These sectors saw their emissions fall by 6.9%, 6.4% and 13.9% respectively.
- Natural gas consumption in industry fell by 19% due to supply constraints, contributing to the overall reduction in emissions.
Thanks to these efforts, the industrial sector has met the SNBC-2 carbon budget for 2019-2023, with an average of 72.5 Mt CO2e/year.
Targets for 2030 are even more ambitious, with expected annual reductions of 2% to 5%, reaching 45 Mt CO2e according to the provisional SNBC-3 targets. In December 2023, the 50 highest-emitting industrial sites pledged to reduce their emissions by 45% by 2030.
Industrial companies are encouraged to calculate their carbon footprint on a regular basis and make the transition to greener products and sustainable sources.
🌳 Forestry
This sector enables carbon to be sequestered in biomass and soils, which is essential for the climate. With global warming, these carbon sinks are becoming increasingly fragile and are steadily shrinking. Estimated at around -45 Mt CO2e on average in the 2000s, they have shrunk considerably to around -20 Mt CO2e in recent years.
With the reduced capacity of forests to store carbon, France must step up its efforts in other areas to achieve carbon neutrality.
The reduction in the forest carbon sink is mainly due to several factors:
- Repeated droughts since 2015, which have weakened forests.
- Tree diseases, increasing their mortality rate.
- Increased timber harvesting, reducing the capacity of forests to capture and store carbon.
The reduction in the carbon sink means that additional effort is needed in other sectors to achieve carbon neutrality.
Initially, the National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC-2) targeted a carbon sink between -40 and -45 Mt CO2 by 2030. However, the provisional objectives announced in 2023 for the future SNBC-3 have not yet set a new target for this sector.
🌽 Agriculture
Between 2022 and 2023, greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector in France fell by 1.6%, according to Citepa. This reduction is mainly due to lower methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The reduction in N2O emissions can be explained by the reduced use of mineral and organic fertilizers. As for CH4 emissions, they have fallen due to a reduction in the number of cattle and, to a lesser extent, pigs.
At the same time, fertilizer deliveries fell sharply in 2023, and the number of agricultural methanizers increased slightly. These changes have enabled the agricultural sector to meet the carbon budget set in the SNBC-2 for the period 2019-2023, with an average of 76.1 Mt CO2e per year, slightly below the target of 77.6 Mt CO2e/year.
By 2030, the SNBC-2 forecasts that the agricultural sector will have to reach a cap of 69 Mt CO2e, with an expected annual reduction of around 1% to bring it into line with the provisional targets of the SNBC-3.
Encouraging progress
France's greenhouse gas emissions will fall by a significant 5.8% between 2022 and 2023. With this reduction, France is well on the way to meeting the objectives of the National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC-2).
📊 The data collected in the various sectors makes it possible to assess the progress made and adjust efforts to meet the emission reduction targets set by France. Based on this data, decision-makers can direct their actions towards a future that is more climate-friendly and better adapted to current ecological constraints.
👍 Indeed, the reduction in emissions in key sectors such as energy, industry and buildings is encouraging. However, this reduction, while positive, is not sufficient to meet long-term climate objectives, particularly in the transport sector, which is slowly declining. Transport accounts for a considerable share of national emissions (30%).
💪 All this shows thatthere are still some challenges to overcome. Many of the reductions in other sectors can be explained by cyclical factors, such as the restarting of nuclear power plants in the energy sector and favorable weather conditions. A more sustained effort is needed, particularly in the transport and industry sectors, to ensure that France achieves its carbon neutrality targets by 2050.
The SNBC and the Global Carbon Initiative share a common objective: to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming.
While the SNBC is focusing on decarbonizing sectors in France, GCI is acting internationally to offer innovative solutions for its carbon footprint®. By uniting these national and global efforts, France is part of a dynamic of international collaboration, essential if we are to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and face up to global climate challenges.
