The seventh SDG lies at the heart of today’s major challenges as well as tomorrow’s opportunities. Whether it is about combating climate change, of course, or about developing jobs, housing, connectivity, security, food production and more, universal access to sustainable energy is essential. This SDG undeniably represents an opportunity to transform lives, economies and the planet.
SDG7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Where does France stand ?
Domestic challenges
The energy transition must be accelerated if we are to meet the challenge of climate change : this will involve both the massive deployment of available solutions, particularly in the fields of renewable energies and energy efficiency, and the systematic search for new innovations to prepare for a higher level of ambition in the coming years.
For France, combining energy independence and renewable energies at a reasonable cost is a major challenge.
It has therefore set itself the target of doubling the proportion of its final energy consumption covered by renewable energies by 2030, a figure defined in the 2019 Energy and Climate Law.
Numerous public policies have been implemented to encourage energy sobriety and efficiency (low-energy and high environmental quality certified buildings, clean vehicles etc.) as well as the use of renewable energies. These efforts are focused on the industry, transport and construction sectors.
At the same time, rigorous frameworks are being put in place to ensure security of supply and price control throughout France. This is a particular challenge in the overseas territories, through the development of local energy networks to better control production costs.
Combating energy poverty in France is both an environmental and a social challenge.
Finally, the conflict launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022 has had a major impact on global energy supply and demand. While this conflict with Russia has caused energy prices to soar, and Europe is trying to reduce its dependence on Russian gas and oil, renewable energies in Europe grew significantly in 2022.
11.9% of households living in mainland France, i.e. 3.4 million households are in a situation of energy poverty (National Observatory on Energy Poverty, 2022).
France’s actions
France’s energy policy is part of a framework that operates at several levels : globally, with the Paris Agreement on climate change adopted by the UN in 2015 ; at European level, with the "Adjustment to the Fit for 55" package, which aims to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 ; nationally, with the 2015 Law on the Energy Transition for Green Growth (LTECV), the 2019 Energy and Climate Law and the 2023 Law on Renewable Energies.
Even before the Paris Agreement, France had committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions through the LTECV law, which aims to reduce final energy consumption by 50% by 2050 compared to 2012 levels and to increase the share of renewable energies in gross final consumption to 32% by 2030. Energy targets have gradually been revised upwards, with the European target for the share of renewable energies rising from 32% to 40% and emissions reductions from 40% to 55% by 2030.
While fossil fuels still account for more than 60% of France’s final energy consumption mix, the Energy and Climate Law adopted in 2019 has made carbon neutrality a target to be achieved by 2050 and France is setting short- and medium-term targets : carbon budgets, through its reference roadmap : the National Low Carbon Strategy (SNBC).
Taking action for the climate involves a number of challenges : redefining the energy system, securing energy supplies, maintaining competitiveness and protecting French consumers. As early as 2015, 44% of the €1 billion invested by the public sector in the energy sector was earmarked for energy transition technologies (i.e. renewable energies, energy efficiency, CO2 capture and utilization, energy storage and smart grids).
These ambitions are set out in the State’s Multiannual Energy Programme, two parts of which (2019-2023 and 2024-2028) were revised in 2018.
The State supports the industrialisation of renewable energy sectors, both in terms of research and development and to ensure the minimum profitability necessary for their deployment. Particular attention is being paid to the production of heat (heating, hot water), which is an essential source of comfort for every French household and accounts for 50% of annual national energy consumption. In particular, one million heat pumps are to be produced in France by 2027.
At the same time, with the aim of limiting energy loss, the " Better Housing " programme run by the National Housing Agency (ANAH) has been offering assistance to disadvantaged households to renovate their homes since 2010. The 2024 budget also allocates €1.8 billion to the energy sector and €1.6 billion to the energy renovation of private housing (an increase of 66% in the budget).
More recently, the Renewable Energy Law of March 2023 aims to speed up the development of renewable energies, in order to make up for the time lost by France in implementing SDG7.