[en] This publication proposes a synthesis of a presentation of new concepts, scenarios of development and progress status of new simulations which are to be performed for the fifth IPCC assessment report. Interveners have explained the reasons for such a review of the whole scenario set with an introduction of different scenario types: radiative forcing scenarios, social-economic scenarios, and climatic scenarios. They describe the scope of these scenarios and their mutual articulation. Four scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions (RCP for Radiative Concentration Pathways) have been defined. Their content and elaboration are described. The improvements brought to fluid mechanics models are also addressed, as well as the approach to the assessment of adaptation and mitigation costs related to climate change, according to possible evolutions of our societies (development of social-economic scenarios), with reference to the RCPs. These social-economic scenarios differ in terms of adaptation capacity and mitigation capacity (high, medium or low). Perspectives are finally evoked.

[en] After indication of some figures illustrating the IPCC's activity, and a presentation of the IPCC by some scientists who are members of IPCC groups, this publication, while answering to some popular misconceptions, indicates important dates for climate and for the IPCC, briefly recalls the IPCC creation and mission. It presents its structure and organisation, gives a brief overview of its activities, presents the role, composition and activities of the different working groups. It indicates the key elements for climate and its evolution. It proposes an overview of the content of the fifth IPCC report, and presents and comments the process of elaboration of assessment reports

[en] After having outlined the necessity of a development of climate services with users, this publication highlights the strengthening of existing and emerging climate services (the Drias portal, the interdisciplinary group of national contributions, the Extremoscope project). Then, it briefly presents the development of five innovative services: the impact of climate change on coastal regions and the assessment of submersion risks, the evolution of aquifers with climate change, impacts for agriculture in western Africa, the evolution of sea ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea and the definition of marine protected areas, and a climate service for cities. It briefly addresses associated needs in terms of basic and professional training, and in terms of communication with experts, undertakers, citizen, and so on.

[en] After some comments on climate modelling (models, scenarios, uncertainties, regional predictions), the first part reports the study of several temperature indices (minimum, average and maximum daily temperature, number of days with abnormally high or low temperature, number of days of heat wave, number of days with negative temperatures, and so on.), precipitation indices (daily and extreme precipitations, dry periods, snow falls). It also discusses soil humidity index, strong wind index, river flow rate, and sea level. The second part reports simulation results for indices in metropolitan France according to the French Aladin-Climat, LMDZ and MAR models. The third volume reports evolutions and predictions of average sea level at the planet scale and along the French coasts, and discusses impacts related to sea level change (coast erosion, submersion, salt intrusion)

[en] We examine long-term trends in the historical record of extreme precipitation events occurring over the French Mediterranean area. Extreme events are considered in terms of their intensity, frequency, extent and precipitated volume. Changes in intensity are analysed via an original statistical approach where the annual maximum rainfall amounts observed at each measurement station are aggregated into a univariate time-series according to their dependence. The mean intensity increase is significant and estimated at + 22% (+ 7 to + 39% at the 90% confidence level) over the 1961–2015 period. Given the observed warming over the considered area, this increase is consistent with a rate of about one to three times that implied by the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship. Changes in frequency and other spatial features are investigated through a Generalised Linear Model. Changes in frequency for events exceeding high thresholds (about 200 mm in 1 day) are found to be significant, typically near a doubling of the frequency, but with large uncertainties in this change ratio. The area affected by severe events and the water volume precipitated during those events also exhibit significant trends, with an increase by a factor of about 4 for a 200 mm threshold, again with large uncertainties. All diagnoses consistently point toward an intensification of the most extreme events over the last decades. We argue that it is difficult to explain the diagnosed trends without invoking the human influence on climate.

[en] Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies aim to identify any 'object', in the broadest sense of the term, fitted with an 'RFID tag', by means of data transmission via radio waves and without contact with an 'interrogator'. The use of radio frequencies for tag identification enables blind communication, at varying distances, and sometimes involving several hundred objects almost simultaneously. In 2009, the Afsset agency assessed the potential impact of these technologies on the environment and human health, particularly in terms of the electromagnetic fields emitted by these systems, and issued a series of recommendations

[en] Observations of the Earth's surface temperature since 1850, and atmospheric or oceanic observations that have increased in number over the past decades, provide a coherent picture of a unequivocal climate warming since the middle of the 20. century. This warming also manifests itself across metropolitan France where it is accompanied by a significant increase in the severity of droughts since the end of the 1980's. Some trends, including those of most of extreme events, remain indistinguishable from climate variability at the decadal to multi-decadal time scale. However, there is almost no doubt on the attribution of the most part of the Earth's surface warming to human activities, and anthropogenic fingerprint is detectable in a large number of observed trends in the different components of the climate system over the same period. The interpretation of the slowdown of global warming over the last fifteen years remains a research challenge whose first findings begin to emerge. (authors)

[en] The French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety was asked by the Ministries of Health and the Environment to set up a working group to carry out expert appraisal work on the exposure of the general population to radiofrequency and electromagnetic fields. This document presents a summary of the studies and results

[en] After a recall of some definitions (extreme events, risks related to extreme events) and a discussion of the way extreme meteorological events are addressed by social sciences, this publication proposes an overview of extreme climatic events which occurred in the past and are occurring now by addressing observations, human and financial costs. It also outlines the relationship between already observed changes and human activities. Then, it discusses the future impact of climate change on major natural risks. The next part addresses the prevention and management of risks related to extreme climatic events (issues of adaptation, of mobilisation of all actors, of a structured and long-term policy which articulated additional actions, examples of implementation of measures to reduce vulnerability and exposure to risks). The document also contains the activity report of the ONERC (the French national observatory of effects of global warming)

[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