Back from COP27, Emmanuel Macron brings together, on Tuesday, November 8, the representatives of 50 French industrial sites that are high emitters of CO2, one of the main greenhouse gases, mainly from the metallurgy, chemicals and cement sectors. Objective: to encourage them to accelerate their decarbonization to fight against global warming.
Who are the manufacturers emitting the most carbon dioxide in France ? To find out, franceinfo looked at the CO2 emissions data recorded by the European Union’s emissions trading system. This is a database compiling the CO2 emissions of manufacturers, authorized and actually carried out. Our work, carried out thanks to that of the cartographer Cedric Rossiis based on data from 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic affected the country’s industrial activity.
The largest CO2 emitter in France is ArcelorMittal. In 2019, the steel producer emitted a total of 15 million tonnes (or 15 megatons) of CO2, mainly with its metallurgy sites in Dunkirk (North) and Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône). ). Then come the refining sites, like that of TotalEnergies in Gonfreville-l’Orcher (Seine-Maritime). The Normandy refinery emitted 2.4 megatons of CO2 in 2019.
On the map below, each industrial site is represented by a point, the size of which varies according to CO2 emissions in 2019. The position of these points may be different from their actual location, so that they do not overlap. .
To consult the precise data of each industrial site represented on the map above, we provide you with this table. It lists the CO2 emissions in 2019 from each industrial site. You can search for your department or a company to consult the available data.
The 50 industrial sites coming at the top of this list do not necessarily correspond to the companies invited by the Elysée on Tuesday. Several large CO2 emitters are missing, in particular those operating refineries or thermal power plants. Esso, owner of the Gravenchon refinery (Seine-Maritime), which emits 2 megatons of CO2, or even EDF and its Martigues gas plant (1.4 megatons of CO2 in 2019), for example, were not called . TotalEnergies will however be well represented by its CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, the company said on Twitter.
The companies brought together by Emmanuel Macron therefore weigh less than one might think. According to our calculations, the 50 sites on the Elysée list emitted 37.8 megatons of CO2 in 2019, or 45% of total emissions from French industry. While all activities combined (including thermal power plants and refineries), the 50 largest CO2 emitters represent 65% of French emissions. Asked about the choice not to retain certain industries, the Elysée did not respond immediately.