France unveils 2050 carbon‑neutrality strategy with phased fossil‑fuel exit

France published a new decree in the Journal officiel establishing the third National Low‑Carbon Strategy (SNBC‑3). The plan sets sector‑by‑sector targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, aiming to phase out coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and fossil gas by 2050. It introduces five‑year carbon‑budget ceilings for each sector – energy, buildings, agriculture, transport and others – and assigns each ministry (Ecological Transition, Economy and Energy, Transport, Agriculture, Health, Urban Planning) responsibility for implementation. The strategy was presented by Minister for the Ecological Transition Monique Barbut, who stressed that the recent heatwave highlights the urgency of both adaptation and emission reductions.

The decree outlines new carbon‑budget allocations and underscores France’s commitment to decarbonisation as a response to climate‑related heatwaves and broader global warming concerns.