France has largely decarbonised its electricity, but still depends on oil and gas to heat buildings, power transport and run industry. Leaders of major NGOs working on energy access and the ecological transition say this gap should be addressed in the debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In an opinion piece in Le Monde, they point to COP31, scheduled to take place in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20, as an opportunity to bring the issue forward. The Turkish presidency has made electrification a priority and aims to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption from 20% to 35% by 2035.
France’s third multi-year energy plan, adopted in February, sets a goal of raising electricity’s share of the country’s final energy consumption from 27% in 2023 to 38% in 2035. It also targets a fall in the share of fossil fuels from 58% to 29%.
Achieving those targets would require public policies and investment to help households, businesses and local authorities switch to electricity. The plan involves reducing energy demand and replacing gas and oil boilers, combustion-engine vehicles and fossil-fuel-based industrial processes with clean electric alternatives.
The decree establishing the plan allows a simplified review to begin in 2027, including to adjust renewable-energy development in response to electricity demand and low-carbon generation capacity. The NGO leaders say this gives the next president a decisive role in shaping France’s energy direction for the following decade, and argue that the issue warrants a national debate.
Sources: Le Monde.