The Climate Action Network and France Nature Environnement are calling on the State to condition public aid granted to French industry on a real reduction in CO2 emissions. While French industry as a whole is responsible for 17.5% of national emissions, the 50 most polluting industrial sites in France alone are responsible for 7.3% of national greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 .

The environmental impact of these 50 sites is not limited to the climate alone, emphasize the authors of the report. They are also responsible for air, water and soil pollution that can have serious consequences on biodiversity and human health. ArcelorMittal, the steel leader in France, is the leading industrial emitter of effect gases in France, underlines the report. Its two sites in Fos-sur-Mer and Dunkirk represent 16% of French industry emissions. Behind them are Naphtachemin in Bouches-du-Rhône, Total Energies, in Gonfreville (Seine-Maritime), and Compagnie Pétrochemical de Berre (Bouches-du-Rhône).

In 2023, industries reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 7.8% compared to 2022. And the 50 sites pointed out by the two NGOs reduced their emissions by 11% in one year. If this decline is good news, according to the Climate Action Network, half of it is due to the drop in the production of products such as cement and steel. “The industry must still prove that its decarbonization is committed and sustainable,” write the NGOs. Several of these 50 sites also emitted more in 2023 than in 2022: Saint-Gobain, Lafarge and even Yara France, a manufacturer of chemical fertilizers.
Furthermore, more than a third of manufacturers are banking on carbon capture at the factory outlet, the report points out. A technology that is nevertheless very expensive and not yet proven. NGOs are calling on the State to prioritize public aid towards more effective and cheaper solutions.
“The future effort to meet the climate objectives for 2030 and 2050 will require a transformation of this sector worthy of an industrial revolution,” concludes the report. “In the short term, French industry will have to reduce its annual emissions by 37 million tonnes of CO2, compared to the 2019 level.”

Billy Omeonga

Billy Omeonga graduated in Journalism and Creative Writing. I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I am currently pursuing an MBA at the University of the People in the United States of America. I love activities that involve ideas and critical thinking. I am passionate about nature and protecting the environment. I believe in protecting our planet and its natural resources. I hate dishonest and pessimistic people. Honesty is an integral part of my view of the world and it is a value in which I strongly believe. I speak French and English fluently. In my free time, I like to read and play the piano. Also, I disapprove of the unreliability. I am a reliable person, so I expect a certain level of reliability from those I am reliable to.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - YouTube

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here