France sets sail for 32% renewables in energy mix by 2030

France yesterday adopted a law setting an ambitious target of covering 32% of its energy demand with renewable sources by 2030.

The law on energy transition for a green growth, as the bill is called, also targets to halve the country's overall energy consumption by 2050, decrease the share of nuclear energy in the energy mix to 50% by 2025 and lower the share of fossil fuels by 30% by 2030. Progress will be measured against the 2012 levels.

The share of renewable energy in the country's mix in the base year 2012 was 13.7%.

More than EUR 10 billion (USD 10.96 billion) will be spent over the next three years to start the transition, Ecology Minister Segolene Royal told Parliament. She noted that the law is currently "the most advanced in Europe and in the world" and will help create more than 100,000 green jobs over the next three years.

In December, Paris will host the COP21 climate conference, which, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, will aim to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.

France will play a leading international role in hosting this conference, and COP21 will be one of the largest international conferences ever held in the country. The conference is expected to attract close to 50,000 participants including 25,000 official delegates from government, intergovernmental organisations, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.096)

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