According to preliminary data from CITEPA, the organisation mandated to draw up the French greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory, France’s emissions decreased by 1.8% in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching 366 MtCO2eq (-6.7 MtCO2eq), their lowest level since 1990. This decrease is slower than the previous year, as GHG emissions had fallen by 5.8% in 2023 compared to 2022 (373 MtCO2eq).
According to CITEPA, GHG emissions in the energy sector fell by nearly 12% in 2024. GHG emissions from power generation fell by 26%, thanks to a higher nuclear and hydropower generation (+13% and +27%, respectively) that cut gas-fired power generation by 40%. GHG emissions from the building sector (households and services) slightly declined in 2024 (-1.1%).
In November 2024, France’s Ministry of Ecological Transition unveiled new objectives for its climate and energy transition, aiming to reduce its gross GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 1990 (up from a previous target of 40%) and to achieve 58% of carbon-free energy consumption by 2030.