With much of the world battling extreme weather conditions, countries like France are shying from making bold decisions. French President Emmanuel Macron believes green transition should not mean imposing outright obligations.
Calling for a just and fair green transition, he said the approach should create value for the economy by building local supply chains for everything from heat pumps to electric cars. Macron highlighted plans to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and encourage people to use electric cars.
Halving Emissions by 2030
The French president said France’s goal is to reduce emissions by 55 percent by the year 2030, an attainable target that is in line with the EU target. “To get there, we need to succeed in reducing emissions by 5 percent per year over the period 2022-2030, compared with a 2 percent reduction per year over the past five years.”
Macron said this strategy will enable France to reduce dependence on fossil fuels – coal, gas and oil – from 60 percent to 40 percent by 2030. He added that France’s remaining coal-burning plants would stop operating. The plants would be converted to biomass energy.
France to Make EVs Affordable
While urging people to switch to electric vehicles, Macron said the government would introduce a state-sponsored system so that households can afford European-made electric cars for €100 per month. He expects France to have produced about one million electric vehicles by 2027 and opened four battery plants. Macron pointed out that low-income motorists struggling with rising fuel prices will be supported.
The French government is also encouraging the people to use public transport more often. It has 13 projects of commuter trains to go around the major cities – a €700 million package. The government is also working towards incentivizing farmers and industrial groups to adopt less polluting processes.
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France Needs to Catch Up
Macron’s plans are not bold, but it’s good enough. However, critics say France needs to catch up with other countries to cut emissions. The French government has caught itself in a tricky position. It doesn’t want to provoke people with costly initiatives. In 2018, there were protests across France against increasing fuel taxes and restrictions on vehicle emissions. The Macron government doesn’t want a repeat of that.
Climate crisis is evident and it’s accelerating. Countries and governments need to do their bit.
