Did Emmanuel Macron really shine on the climate during his five-year term?

“Make our planet great again“, declared Emmanuel Macron, in June 2017. What policy did he pursue in favor of the climate during his five-year term? First, the negatives: in 2020, France was the only country in the European Union not to have respected its commitments on renewable energies. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, has become the world champion in offshore wind: in 2020, its fleet produced 13% of the country’s electricity. Another negative point is transport, which represents more than 30% broadcasts in France. They fell too slowly during Emmanuel Macron’s five-year term. If he invested in rail transport, “that’s still half what the Germans do, and five times less than what the Austrians do”indicates Neil makaroffin charge of Europe for the Climate Action Network. The French also buy half as many electric cars as in Sweden and the Netherlands.

On the positive side, France has pushed for the creation of electric battery factories in the North, which have had a driving role for the international sector. Emmanuel Macron also fought for very ambitious climate objectives for the Europe of 27. However, the country cannot present itself as a European climate champion. “On many issues, France was in the good European average, with useful technical improvements, but insufficient with regard to climate risk“, recognizes Thomas Pellerin Carlin, director of the Energy Center of the Jacques Delors Institute. However, he specifies that France has “on many issues played a retrograde role“, who “hampers the European dynamic”.