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🔎 Key takeaways
- Stemming from the work of the Citizens' Convention for Climate, the "Climate and Resilience" law was adopted by the National Assembly on July 20, 2021, to translate a portion of its proposals into legislative measures.
- The text notably mandates the expansion of bulk sales in supermarkets, restricts the construction of new shopping centers on natural land, and introduces environmental labeling for products.
- The law provides for the elimination of certain short-haul domestic flights in favor of train travel, the creation of Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in major cities, and a gradual ban on renting out properties considered "thermal sieves."
On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, the National Assembly voted 233 to 35 in favor of the "Climate and Resilience" bill. But what were the steps that led to this project, and what does this law actually entail?
What are the steps that led to the "Climate and Resilience" law?
This bill is the most significant environmental measure of this presidential term and the result of several years of work. To understand the events that influenced the drafting of this text, we invite you to step back in time and review the timeline.
The Paris Agreement
November 4, 2016
On November 4, 2016, the Paris Agreement on climate change entered into force. The goal of this agreement is to keep global warming below 2°C and to address the consequences of climate change. It was signed by 196 parties, all of whom committed to updating their national greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies every five years. France, along with all European Union countries, is a signatory to this treaty.
The European Union initially aimed to reduce its carbon emissions by at least 40% by 2030, but in 2020, it raised its ambitions to target a reduction of at least 55% over the same period.
For its part, France has set a reduction target of 40% by 2030.
The Paris Agreement encourages signatories to take responsibility in the fight against global warming and requires them to set carbon emission reduction targets, but it does not dictate the specific actions to be implemented.
To design a national action plan, France called upon its citizens to reflect on the subject by organizing the Citizens' Convention for Climate.
The Citizens' Convention for Climate (CCC)
From October 2019 to June 2020
The Citizens' Convention for Climate brought together 150 citizens over 6 weekends, from October 2019 to June 2020, to work on global warming. This effort resulted in 149 proposals designed to help France reach its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
These proposals are organized into five main themes: consuming, producing and working, traveling, housing, and eating. They were subsequently reviewed by the government to draft a bill: the Climate and Resilience Law.
The Climate and Resilience Bill
February 12, 2021
Nine months after the CCC proposals were submitted, a bill called Climate and Resilience was presented to the Council of Ministers. It is based on some of the proposals developed during the convention—46, to be exact. This bill aims to:
- Change food and consumption habits,
- Evolve production and work models,
- Rethink transport and travel,
- Take action on housing and land use,
- Implement sanctions to limit environmental damage,
The opinion of the High Council on Climate (HCC)
February 23, 2021
Following this bill, the High Council on Climate issued its opinion: it believes the measures are insufficient and that the text should "better integrate the selected measures into the broader approach of the decarbonization strategy" (1).
This opinion sparked outrage across the French population, among citizens as well as associations and political parties, particularly environmentalists.
Demonstration for a "real climate law"
March 28, 2021
On Sunday, March 28, 2021, some 110,000 protesters marched through the streets of French cities to demand a "real Climate Law." A law that would be in line with the goals set by the Paris Agreement, in order to keep global warming below 2°C.
Senate adopts the bill
June 28, 2021
Following two weeks of review, the Climate and Resilience Law was passed by the Senate, though not without amendments. In general, the Senate rewrote the bill to make it less restrictive and to extend deadlines, allowing various stakeholders the time needed to carry out the work required to comply with the new regulations.
Nevertheless, the section concerning transport and mobility was amended in favor of the climate, notably through a reduction in VAT on train tickets from 10% to 5.5%.
The bill must then be voted on again by the National Assembly one month later, on July 20, 2021.
Council of State rules against the government
July 1, 2021
In January 2019, the city of Grande-Synthe appealed to the Council of State, arguing that it was particularly exposed to climate change and that the government was not doing enough to mitigate these risks. The Council of State reached a historic decision, ordering the government to pay 5,000 euros to the municipality. This sanction, more symbolic than punitive, marks the beginning of "climate trials."
On July 1, the Council of State ordered the government to "take all necessary measures to bend the curve of greenhouse gas emissions." The Council has given the government nine months—until March 31, 2022—to implement an action plan to meet its targets. As a reminder, France has set a goal of reducing its emissions by 40% by 2030.
National Assembly vote
July 20, 2021
Despite all the efforts made by various stakeholders to amend the bill, the National Assembly approved it on July 20, 2021, by a vote of 233 to 35. Comprising 69 articles, the bill will, according to Minister for the Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili, "embed ecology at the heart of the French model in its most fundamental aspects: schools, public services, justice, as well as housing, urban planning, advertising, and transport."
For many, this law is not ambitious enough given the scale of the work required to address global warming. But what impact will these new regulations have on the lives of French people? Read on to find out.
What are the main measures of the "Climate and Resilience" Law?
The bill consists of 69 articles focused on the themes of the Citizens' Convention for Climate (CCC): consuming, producing and working, traveling, housing, and eating. This text is significantly less extensive than the 149 proposals originally put forward by the CCC.
It should be noted that the Climate and Resilience Law was designed to complement other projects, such as the Recovery Plan and various regulatory reforms.
Let's take a closer look at the articles and what they entail.
Theme: Consumption
Bulk shopping will be encouraged; by 2030, supermarkets larger than 400 m2 must dedicate 20% of their floor space to the sale of bulk products. This measure aims to reduce the amount of plastic packaging and change consumer habits in France.
The construction of new shopping centers on natural or agricultural land will no longer be permitted, subject to certain conditions. This will help limit land artificialization.
Theme: Production and Work
Employees now have a voice in their company's environmental strategy. Sustainability has become everyone's business, even in the workplace.
Environmental labeling will be mandatory for the products and services we consume, providing information on their environmental impact, particularly regarding the climate. Industries will therefore be required to analyze how they produce their goods and services, with the goal of encouraging industrial decarbonization.
Theme: Transportation
As part of the development of green transport, the Climate and Resilience Law has introduced several measures.
Domestic flights are no longer permitted if a train alternative of less than 2.5 hours exists. This ban, which came into effect in May 2023, primarily targets three routes departing from Paris-Orly (Nantes, Bordeaux, and Lyon), with an exception for connecting flights.
Furthermore, priority lanes for carpooling have been implemented on several major routes to encourage vehicle sharing.
Regarding Low Emission Zones (LEZs), their rollout continues in urban areas with more than 150,000 inhabitants to restrict access for the most polluting vehicles.
However, the exclusion of Crit'Air 3 vehicles—initially planned for 2025—has been relaxed and now only strictly applies to metropolitan areas that regularly exceed regulatory pollution thresholds (such as Paris and Lyon).
Finally, the law has made financial aid for the purchase of an electric car permanent and accelerated the deployment of charging stations across the country.
Theme: Housing
The law includes a section dedicated to housing and the development of a sustainable real estate sector. Poorly insulated homes are now subject to strict regulations: the ban on renting out energy-inefficient properties rated G came into effect on January 1, 2025 (though the energy performance certificate calculation method has been refined for small spaces), while properties rated F will be affected starting in 2028.
To support this transition, the national network " Mon Accompagnateur Rénov’ " has been launched to simplify and improve the efficiency of energy renovation projects for French buildings.
Theme: Food and Nutrition
Vegetarian meals have become standard in school and university cafeterias. As of January 1, 2023, institutions that offer multiple menu choices daily are required to include a vegetarian option. For cafeterias with a single-menu system, they are now required to permanently include at least one vegetarian meal per week.
Conclusion
These measures are only a portion of the Climate and Resilience Act. The law also includes provisions for educating and raising awareness among young people about environmental issues, zero-interest loans to encourage the purchase of cleaner vehicles, reforms regarding advertising, and the installation of solar panels.
Overall, this legislation represents progress for the environmental cause and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but it falls short of current challenges. These measures will not be enough to reach France's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels), which is aligned with the European Union's (EU) target set out in its "Fit for 55" plan.
It is the duty of businesses to do their part in reducing national and global carbon emissions. The best way to contribute to this collective effort is to conduct a carbon audit of your organization and then track emission trends after establishing a detailed action plan.
A SaaS tool like the one offered by Tennaxia allows you to centralize and effectively organize the carbon-related portion of your CSR strategy.
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Sources:
( 1 ) "Recommendations" from the opinion on the Climate and Resilience bill, produced by the High Council on Climate
( 3) https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/loi-climat-resilience