[en] The mission investigated the concept of the carbon footprint and the value of using it in public policy. The report presents an overview of existing methods and practices, and their degree of maturity and use. It provides recommendations on the methods to be used for calculating future emissions trajectories and for more effective reductions in global GHG emissions. For countries, the domestic consumption footprint is obtained by subtracting the emissions associated with exports and adding those generated by imports into their country of origin. The concept is appealing, since it ultimately gives free rein to the relocation of activities. But it competes with territorial emissions, which have been used for decades in international negotiations, and such a change could disrupt them, or even be used as a delaying tactic. The mission recommends that methodological and statistical work be stepped up before considering any form of generalization. For companies, the carbon footprint has become a real asset, for their communication (chosen or imposed by NGOs), their governance, their strategy and their financing. We are witnessing a proliferation of methods and indicators (corporate 'temperature', carbon neutrality trajectories, 'science based targets', etc.), coalitions, ratings, players involved, and so on. The end result is a complex ecosystem. The mission's recommendations stress the need to limit this proliferation in order to make the movement more coherent and efficient. Particular attention must also be paid to SMEs, which are affected by the increasing traceability requirements of their principals. As far as products are concerned, the mission focused in particular on the environmental labelling experiments currently underway in France. These are hampered by the complexity of multi-criteria labelling. The mission proposes that, in certain cases, priority should be given to a purely climate-based display (CarboScore) rather than a multi-criteria one (EcoScore), in order to simplify matters and avoid too much procrastination. Finally, the mission looked at the exemplary role of the French government as a purchaser, recommending that it sets 'climate' objectives for public procurement, with a high-level monitoring

[en] The article summarises a report by France's General Economic Council (CGE) on the 'carbon footprint'. It is based on a benchmarking study of eight different countries, with interviews of a wide range of 60 stakeholders. The report provides recommendations on methods for calculating emissions trajectories and improving the effectiveness of global emissions reductions. It notes the growing expectations with respect to climate policies and the value of the carbon footprint in setting up emission reduction trajectories, with major challenges in terms of competitiveness, consistency and transparency

[en] The information gathered from the consultation for the new NAP and presented in this document (both in the form of thematic sets of recommendations and reference documents) does not fully reflect the breadth of reflection on the subject. Indeed, in certain sectors - such as transport and infrastructure or forestry - the concept has been considered for several years, and adaptation to climate change already figures among the main concerns of many operators in these sectors. Beyond the thematic sets of recommendations that reflect the state of collective thinking on the topic, the true value of the consultation process also resides in the vitality of the dynamic, which has been amplified since the establishment of the Adaptation Strategy in 2006. There can be no doubt that France's hosting of the COP21, and the conclusion and ratification of the Paris Agreement to limit temperature increases at a sustainable level for humans, had a major mobilising effect on the country. The recurrence of droughts and heat waves over the course of recent decades has also played a key role in driving greater awareness among the wider population and political decision makers. This context, particularly favourable to question the adaptation actions that need to be taken, is boosted by the availability of powerful tools such as regionalized climate change projections, and new information regarding extreme climate events or rising sea levels. The years 2016 and 2017 were particularly fruitful in terms of transforming the energy of the adaptation movement into concrete suggestions and orientations for climate action, including in certain sectors which until now had been under-involved in the process. Owing to this movement and the constructive contributions of the participants in the national consultation, the information contained in this report will feed into the 2. NAP announced in Objective 19 of France's Climate Plan, presented on July 6, 2017 by France's Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition. The recommendations published will continue to serve as a guide for national adaptation policies, even beyond the 2. NAP. The success of the new plan will be measured essentially by its ability to mobilise every stakeholder involved, via a coordinated approach whose progress can be objectively measured. This renewed approach to adaptation to climate change will provide a significant contribution to France climate policy, which aims to lead us towards a low-carbon and resilient society, adapted to climate change, and in a broader sense will also help bring about France's ecological and inclusive transition

[en] After an opening speech on the issue of energy transition and mineral resources, the contributions of this seminar first addressed French initiatives and policies, and the concerned sectors: scenarios of energy transition in France and associated scenarios (deployment of renewable energies, of electric mobility, and so on), overview of the different industrial sectors concerned by energy transition and economic and technological stakes associated with mineral resources for these sectors, French policies and initiatives regarding mineral resources. The second part addressed needs and stakes: current knowledge about needs in mineral resources associated with energy transition, overview of stakes associated with the offer in raw materials, focus on economic and energetic stakes associated with metals.

[en] The assessment of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NAP), produced by the General Advisory Council on the Environment and Sustainable Development, has highlighted the plan's flagship achievements and identified areas in need of improvement and the most significant shortcomings. Since much of this first plan was exploratory and therefore concentrated primarily on developing knowledge and experience in newly emerging subjects, it helped to provide a clearer picture of the issues involved in climate change adaptation in many different fields. It also pinpointed certain aspects that France will need to focus its efforts on, both in terms of the themes that are given attention and in terms of the work of local and regional authorities and public bodies. One of the areas that will need to be worked on is to bring the way economic sectors are structured into line with future climate-related issues. Some of the cross-sector work carried out under the framework of the NAP, such as the opinion on risk acceptability and governance produced by the Prevention and Precaution Committee, or the five volumes of 'The French Climate in the 21. Century', have themselves provided material for discussions about France's adaptation process and contributed to highlighting the newly emerging area of climate services. The opinion issued by the Advisory Council on Economic, Social and Environmental Affairs in 2014 offers further general insights, both from the point of view of the various sectors concerned and in terms of translating the adaptation process into practice at local and regional levels. One of the aspects it flags up is the specific issues affecting the French Overseas Territories. The action taken by France can also be viewed in the European context and the work of the European Environment Agency, underlining the positive effects of sharing experience and methods between Member States and the benefits of cross-border cooperation between neighbouring EU countries. The international cooperation aspect that is so necessary in the field of adaptation has been reflected in Article 7 of the Paris Agreement, produced in the closing stages of the 21. Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change. In addition to the cross-cutting evaluations, several of the actions led to examining the plan or making recommendations for adaptation actions from the point of view of specific subjects. For example, the Scientific Advisory Council on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity stressed that the plan did not pay sufficient attention to biodiversity and the complex interactions between biodiversity and climate. The General Advisory Council on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas highlighted the need to address climate change adaptation and climate change mitigation together, within a framework of local-level projects and a broad vision of the agriculture, forestry and other land uses sector. Meanwhile, the Public Health Council pointed to the fact that the health issues surrounding adaptation of the population tie in closely with the subject of individual and collective behaviour. By giving a significant amount of feedback on public policy, identifying a wide range of issues and making well-supported recommendations, this report provides the public bodies with a springboard for strengthening France's adaptation process. All the stakeholders concerned will be able to take it on board in detail with the help of the in-depth analyses

[en] This publication proposes a synthesis of contributions and debates of a conference which addressed the issue of energy efficiency. This issue is first presented and discussed as a new ambition for Europe and a crucial stake for France. It is also addressed as a challenge for companies as illustrated by some experiments (public lighting of a bike lane, management of refrigeration installations in mass retail), a challenge for training and education, a funding challenge for local communities with the possible support of different agencies (ADEME, OSEO).

[en] After the opening and closing speeches of the Minister of Ecology and the intervention of the Prime Minister, a first assessment of the Climate Plan is proposed. This assessment addresses issues related to awareness raising and to adaptation, to sustainable transports, to building and eco-habitat, to industry, to energy, to wastes, to sustainable agriculture and forests, to sustainable air-conditioning, to territorial Climate Plans and to the exemplary State, and to research, international action and prospective after 2010. Then, after a speech of the Minister of Ecology during a Mayor Congress on the Territorial Climate Plan, and a press communique on the Climate Rendezvous, contributions to this rendezvous are provided. For the first day, these contributions propose an assessment of Climate Plan implementation, presentations about the status of scientific knowledge, about climate evolution in France, about stakes and international negotiations to come, about a first assessment of the application of the Climate Plan in terms of emissions and projections. Workshops addressed road transports (clean vehicles and alternatives to road), renewable energy and energy management, territorial climate plans, buildings and energy efficiency (awareness raising, regulation, incentive), actors to develop a climate culture. The second day addressed strategy, stakes and actions for a climate policy. After an opening speech, round tables addressed orientations and actual solutions through the following topics: the factor 4 and new energy technologies, carbon finance and project mechanisms, air transport as a sector for after 2012. Another set of round tables addressed evolutions of our society: adaptation actions in front of consequences of climate change, ways to articulate climate policy and job dynamics