Greenhouse gas emissions in France started to rise again (+ 0.5%) in the third quarter of 2024. An upsurge caused by economic activity, particularly in the building and transport sectors, announced on Friday December 27 2024 Citepa, the organization responsible for drawing up the French carbon footprint. Over the first nine months of 2024, however, the trend remains downward, with a decline of 2.4%, excluding carbon sinks, compared to this same period in 2023.
Rennes most polluting city in Ille-et-Vilaine
A slightly decreasing overall trend, therefore, which hides strong disparities depending on the sector. In Ille-et-Vilaine, it is, unsurprisingly, Rennes which produces the most of these gases responsible for global warming.
According to the latest data published in 2021 by the Territorial Observatory, 493,382 tonnes of CO2 equivalent were recorded in the Breton capital. A figure much higher than the second and third in the ranking in the department, Saint-Malo, with 179,591 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and Vitré, 132,230. Logically, these greenhouse gas emissions are caused, in particular, by industrial activity and automobile traffic, which is very dense in large cities, particularly in Rennes.
High levels in Liffré, La Dominelais, Retiers, Guipry-Messac
Other municipalities have significant levels of greenhouse gas emissions given their size and demographics, such as Retiers (72,539 tonnes of CO2 equivalent), Liffré (71,991), Guipry-Messac (70,511 ), La Dominelais (69,032) or Rives-du-Couesnon (64,580). High levels which can be explained by the economic activity of these sectors, particularly industrial.
However, these levels must be put into perspective if we compare them with those observed in other regions. Across France, Rennes is only in 34th position in the ranking of the most emitting municipalities.
The city with the highest greenhouse gas emissions is Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône), with 9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, ahead of Dunkirk (North, 8 .4 million). Two cities where ArcelorMittal metallurgical sites are located.
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