France

Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Since the 1970s, energy consumption has continuously increased. In 2008, total consumption of primary energy was 273.6 million metric tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe). Energy requirements in France increased rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s as a result of a steady and rapid economic growth. At that time, oil was the main source of energy generation. However, the rise in oil prices after the shocks of 1973 and 1979 led France to opt for another energy source, nuclear power. The share of nuclear power in energy generation in France has since risen, reaching 85 percent in 2008, with 58 reactors spread over 21 sites. It now has the second-largest source of civil nuclear power in the world after the United States. Hence, the country has strong energy independence as its nuclear production of electricity covers almost half of its energy needs. At the same time, hydrocarbon extraction (oil and natural gas) has been decreasing since the 1960s, and coal extraction came to an end in 2004.

Other sources of energy are hydroelectric power, fossil fuel, and renewable energies. France has a significant number of natural resources (forests, water, wind, and geothermal) that can be used as renewable energies. France produced 20.55 Mtoe from renewable energy in 2009, which makes it one of the biggest producers of renewable energy in the EU. However, its consumption of renewable energies (11 percent in 2008) is still below its national target of 23 percent for 2020, in conformity with EU Directive 2009/28, which targets 20 percent of energy from renewable sources for final consumption by 2020.

Against this background, and since the adoption of its nuclear program in the 1970s, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have significantly decreased. In 2004, the level was about 562.6 million metric tons equivalent in CO2 (MteqCO2), which was 0.8 percent below 1990 levels for sole emissions. Emissions from land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) equaled 510.8 MteqCO2, or 6.1 percent of 1990 levels. Transportation and industry are the higher emitters of CO2 in France, followed by the household, tertiary, and energy-transformation sectors.

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