France's Macron to unveil latest plan for meeting climate-related commitments in the coming years
President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to reveal how France plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the country’s climate-related commitments within the next seven years
PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron was preparing to unveil Monday how France plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the country's climate-related commitments within the next seven years.
France has committed to reducing its emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, in line with a European Union target. To get there, the country must go “twice as fast” as the pace of its current path, Macron said in an interview that aired Sunday night on national television channels TF1 and France 2.
Details of his government's new plan are expected after he meets with key ministers at the Elysee presidential palace on Monday afternoon.
Macron announced Sunday that the country’s two remaining coal-burning plants would cease operating and be converted to biomass energy, which is produced by burning wood, plants and other organic material, by 2027. The coal plants currently represent less than 1% of France’s electricity production.
The two plants were initially set to close by last year, but the energy crisis prompted by the war in Ukraine and the shutdown of French nuclear reactors for various problems led the government to delay the decision.
France relies on nuclear energy for over 60% of its electricity — more than any other country.
Another challenge, Macron said, is to boost electric vehicle use in the country. “We must do that in a smart way: that is, by producing vehicles and batteries at home,” he said.
The French “love their car, and I do,” the president added, acknowledging the public reluctance to switch to electric vehicles with
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