Carbon footprint: a worrying trend in France to end the year

© Unsplash/Pierre Bouyer

When the Paris Agreements were signed following Cop21, the world committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to below 1.5°C. If this goal seems utopian today, it is primarily the fault of our carbon footprints.

After a serious decline in 2022 and 2023 (-5.6%), France's greenhouse gas emissions are starting to rise again. Citepa (Interprofessional Technical Center for the Study of Atmospheric Pollution), the organization responsible for calculating France's carbon footprint, has just published its report for the third quarter of this year 2024.

Over this period, French emissions increased by 0.5% year-on-year. A result that only confirms the trend visible since the beginning of 2024. However, this is the first time since 2021 (and the post-covid recovery) that France's emissions have increased from one quarter to the next.

Building and transport

To understand this strong comeback of greenhouse gas emissions, we need to look at the most polluting industries. In the case of France, it is construction and transport work that generates the largest part of our carbon footprint.

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With regard to road traffic, for example, Citepa notes an increase in emissions of 1.1% in this third quarter of 2024. But it is really the construction world that is weighing down the figures. With an increase in emissions of almost 11%, development work is not the only culprit.

Citepa also points the finger at environmentally unfriendly heating systems that have been active since September in some regions. Despite this alarming figure, other sectors of activity are giving us a smile. This is particularly the case for domestic air traffic. Its emissions fell by 4.1% in the third quarter, confirming the trend already observed in 2023 with a decrease of 3.5%.

2030 targets still achievable

France has a major project to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The national objective would be to fall below the 270 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent mark. To reach this figure, the country's emissions must still be reduced by 4.7% per year.

Such a reduction would allow France to meet its European commitments, a 55% reduction in its emissions compared to 1990. In the long term, the objective would be to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve this, it will be necessary to redouble efforts, as France has not managed to meet its objectives for the 2015-2018 period.

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