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Les émissions de gaz à effet de serre et l’empreinte carbone de la France

Les émissions de gaz à effet de serre et l’empreinte carbone de la France

Commissariat général au développement durableOct 26, 2021

La combustion d’énergies fossiles, comme le pétrole ou le charbon, est l’activité humaine qui émet le plus de CO2, un gaz à effet de serre qui réchauffe l’atmosphère. Elle est cependant loin d’être la seule activité à émettre du CO2 et le CO2 n’est pas le seul gaz à effet de serre. Avec la concentration des différents gaz dans l’atmosphère, l’effet de serre se renforce, et le réchauffement climatique s’accélère. L’indicateur nommé « empreinte carbone » permet de mesurer les émissions liées aux consommations finales de notre pays et ainsi de connaître l’impact du mode de vie des Français.

The combustion of fossil fuels, such as oil or coal, is the human activity that emits the most CO2, a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere. However, it is far from being the only activity that emits CO2 and CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas. With the concentration of different gases in the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect strengthens, and climate warming accelerates. The indicator called "carbon footprint" makes it possible to measure emissions linked to the final consumption of our country and thus to understand the impact of the lifestyle of the French.
4 chapters
  • The greenhouse effect, at the root of climate warming
    Greenhouse mechanism
    • A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps part of the heat from the sun's rays. Some of these gases are naturally present in the atmosphere. Thanks to them, the Earth absorbs part of the energy it receives from the Sun, and the rest is sent back into space. This natural phenomenon, called the greenhouse effect, makes life possible on Earth: without it, the average temperature of the planet would be around -18°C. These gases therefore play an important role in regulating the climate.
    Current warming
    However, the rapid increase in the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere results in an accelerated rise in its temperature: this is the climate warming we are currently experiencing, caused by human activities.
  • Human activities that emit greenhouse gases
    Main gases emitted
    • The main human activities that emit greenhouse gases are: combustion of fossil fuels, industrial processes such as cement production, agricultural livestock and waste treatment, use of agricultural fertilizers, use of solvents, refrigeration and air conditioning. • CO2 (carbon dioxide): Combustion of fossil energy, cement production and tropical deforestation • CH4 (Methane): Landfills, agriculture, livestock and industrial processes • N2O (Nitrous oxide): Agriculture, industrial processes, fertilizer use • Fluorinated gases: HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons, family composed of different molecules): Sprays, refrigeration, industrial processes • PFCs (perfluorocarbons, family composed of different molecules) • SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) • NF3 (nitrogen trifluoride): Electronic component manufacturing • These different gases do not all contribute equally to the greenhouse effect. To be able to compare them with each other, we evaluate the capacity of each gas to redirect energy toward the ground (the "radiative forcing") relative to CO2. The contribution of each gas to the greenhouse effect is then measured by its global warming potential: this depends on its ability to intercept and redirect solar radiation, and its lifetime. • Methane (CH4) for example has a global warming potential 25 times greater than CO2. This rises to 298 for nitrous oxide (N2O) and up to 23,900 for sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
  • Emissions from different sectors in France
  • France's carbon footprint
    Country carbon footprint
    • A country's carbon footprint represents the amount of greenhouse gas due to the consumption of households, public administrations, non-profit organizations, and investments. This includes goods and services produced on national territory and those that are imported, regardless of their origin. A country's carbon footprint therefore reflects the impact of lifestyles on the climate. It is different from greenhouse gas emissions released on national territory. • The calculation is done as follows: carbon footprint = domestic emissions + foreign emissions linked to imports - emissions linked to exports • The carbon footprint of a good or service includes all the greenhouse gases necessary for the production of that good or service, such as extraction of materials, production of raw or intermediate materials, industrial processes, transport or marketing. • France's carbon footprint has decreased by 13% since 1990 overall and by 26% per capita, taking into account population growth.
    France's carbon footprint
    • In 2023, France's carbon footprint is estimated at 644 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2eq), or 9.4 tonnes per capita. Emissions associated with imports account for nearly half (56%) of the footprint. For comparison, this figure would need to be limited to 2 tonnes of CO2 per capita on the planet to succeed in limiting Earth's warming to 1.5°C according to the objective set by the Paris Agreement. • France's carbon footprint (644 Mt eq CO2) is 60% higher than national greenhouse gas emissions (403 Mt CO2 eq), that is to say emitted on our soil. This shows that France imports more emissions than it exports. • Foreign emissions come from different economic activities: extraction and production of fossil fuels, electricity production, agriculture, metallurgy, manufacturing of non-metallic minerals, transport and chemical industry. • These foreign activities are part of the production chain of goods and services consumed by the French, such as fuels, agri-food products, manufactured goods, construction, transport services, commercial and public services. • The Data and Statistical Studies Service (SDES) of the General Commission for Sustainable Development (CGDD) estimates France's carbon footprint. The results and detailed methodology for its calculation are available on the SDES website.

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