On December 31, the government launched a new support system to accelerate the decarbonization of industry as part of the “France 2030” investment plan.(1). This announcement demonstrates, despite the absence of the adoption of a budget for 2025 to date, the attention paid to this theme.
Decarbonization: what is it?
As a reminder, decarbonization refers to all measures and techniques to reduce carbon dioxide (CO) emissions.2). By extension, this term is also used regarding the reduction of all greenhouse gases (GHG).
Transport is by far the leading GHG emitting sector in France (33% of national emissions in 2022), ahead of agriculture (19%), industry (18%) and buildings (16%).
France aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, that is to say, to achieve a balance between its GHG emissions and what the national territory is capable of absorbing via ecosystems managed by humans (forests, meadows, agricultural soils, wetlands, etc.).
Among the decarbonization measures in the residential sector, the establishment of a new GHG emissions ceiling of 300 g CO2eq/kWh PCI (entered into force in July 2022) for new equipment installed for heating or hot water production in residential or professional buildings prevents, for example, the installation of new oil-fired boilers (100 % fuel oil) and coal, with exceptions(2).
National low carbon strategy: a 3e roadmap under debate
The National Low Carbon Strategy (SNBC) constitutes the main tool for planning decarbonization in France. In addition to reaffirming the long-term objective (carbon neutrality in 2050), this roadmap specifies a trajectory for reducing GHG emissions in the different sectors, with emissions ceilings not to be exceeded over a five-year period. (“carbon budgets”).
At the end of 2024, a consultation took place around the project of 3e national low carbon strategy (SNBC 3)(3). This project includes, among other things, “ raising the objective of reducing our gross greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from -40% to -50% between 1990 and 2030 ».
With an observation: “ we will now have to reduce our GHG emissions by around 5% each year between 2022 and 2030, compared to 2% on average from 2017 to 2022 ”, which implies “ efforts of all and transformations throughout our economy (transport, agriculture, industry, buildings, energy, waste, land and forests) ».
The government reaffirms the need to mobilize the various economic players and undertakes to support them, to identify the levers for decarbonization (level of emissions reduction, cost, etc.), the obstacles to be removed (investments, regulatory constraints, etc.) and ultimately the concrete actions to be implemented.
-Identify your impact with a carbon footprint
With this in mind, three levers for decarbonization are “ to be exploited in synergy », underlines the Hellio group, specialized in energy management and energy renovation work: energy efficiency, energy mix and “material and recycling” efficiency.
Beforehand, a carbon assessment (or GHG assessment) is necessary to measure the quantity of greenhouse gases attributable to its organization. This reporting is mandatory (and regular) for a certain number of players, including all companies with more than 500 employees in mainland France and more than 250 people overseas.
When it comes to carbon footprint, particular attention must be paid to the perimeter (or scope) of the emissions taken into account: in France, the regulatory obligation enshrined in the environmental code concerns scope 1 (direct emissions ) and 2 (indirect emissions linked to the organization’s energy consumption).
Scope 3 finally includes “ all other greenhouse gas emissions, for example associated with transport, supply, employee travel, waste produced », recalls Hellio.
The example of greening corporate fleets
Hellio offers organizations a range of scope 1 and 2 solutions to decarbonize their energy mix and consume less sustainably: energy audit, support in energy renovation work, development of renewable energies, etc.
For businesses, the “greening” of vehicle fleets is an example of an important decarbonization action. The LOM law (Mobility Orientation Law) thus requires companies with a fleet of more than 100 vehicles to have a minimum quota of low-emission vehicles when renewing their fleet.
But sanctions for non-compliance with obligations are absent or insufficient and companies often favor plug-in hybrid vehicles over 100% electric vehicles which “ do not allow us to free ourselves from the constraints of fossil fuels, nor, in their conditions of real use, to contribute significantly to the decarbonization of mobility », juge le think tank The Shift Project(4).
At the beginning of 2024, MP Daniel Adam tabled a bill aimed at accelerating the electrification of these fleets but the text was abandoned in the context of the dissolution of the National Assembly. A new bill should be tabled, after the presentation of the conclusions of a “flash mission” on the subject in mid-December(5).
