2023-12-26 16:44:43
The Interprofessional Technical Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (Citepa) announced, Tuesday, December 26, that France confirmed the drop in its greenhouse gas emissions over the first nine months of the year, compared to 2022. The organization had already reported in October a drop of 4.3% over the first half of the year, compared to the same period of the previous year. By including the following three months, the organization consolidates this provisional assessment, which even appears a little more favorable with an estimated drop of 4.6%, compared to 2022. This was already illustrated by a reduction of 2 .7% of emissions compared to 2021 – estimates which do not include the forest carbon sink (the absorption of carbon dioxide by the forest) or emissions linked to changes in land use.
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According to the Citepa barometer, the three main contributors to the drop in domestic emissions are industry (− 9.3%), energy production (− 9.4%) and buildings (− 7.5%). . Transport contributes more modestly, with a drop of only 1.8% compared to last year. “For buildings, the drop in heating emissions was very strong at the end of 2022, with the effects of the rise in energy prices (although tempered by the tariff shield) and incentives for energy sobrietyexplains Citepa. In 2023, these effects continue, even though the winter severity index shows a slightly more severe start to 2023 than the start of 2022.” The last three months of 2023 having ultimately been exceptionally mild, this assessment should largely be confirmed for the whole year.
The provisional assessment of the industry confirms the figures from the previous year: this sector had in fact already reduced its carbon footprint by 6.4% in 2022 compared to 2021, according to data from the High Council for the Climate (HCC) . However, fluctuations from one year to the next do not only indicate the effects of structural changes, but also those of the economic situation. Thus, the 9.4% drop in emissions linked to energy production follows a 4.9% increase in emissions from this sector in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2022, a significant part of French nuclear power plants having been the shutdown for maintenance, and the hydroelectric capacities having been strongly impacted by the drought, the gas power stations had been in great demand.
Soaring domestic flights
Similar interannual fluctuations can be observed in transport. Last year, this sector saw its emissions increase by 2.3% compared to 2021, according to the HCC. “Road transport experienced a drop of 15% in 2020, then a rebound of +12% in 2021, and a continuation of the rebound of +2% in 2022details Citepa. The 2023 barometer over the first nine months of 2023 shows an end to this rebound with a drop of 2.7% between the first three quarters of 2022 and those of 2023.”
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