11-03-2025
'Protect the population': France unveils plan to prepare for 4C global warming
France's Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, on Monday presented the government's finalised third plan to 'adapt the territory' to global warming.
The Plan National d'Adaptation au Changement Climatique (National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change, and sometimes known as Pnacc), is almost 400 pages long, and includes over 50 measures aimed at preparing the country for a 4C increase in temperatures by 2100.
The Pnacc was first created as a fund in 1995 to help local authorities, small businesses and private individuals finance the work needed to reduce their vulnerability to natural disasters.
What does the plan include?
There are five main areas of focus.
The first is protecting the population, and it includes steps related to protecting people from increased forest fires and strengthening protections for workers exposed to heatwaves, as well as a study to learn about avoiding a drop in air quality during heatwaves and steps to modify housing renovation rules.
Another measure within 'protecting the population' was broadly 'developing a culture of risk awareness to prepare the French population to cope with changes in natural hazards due to climate change'.
The second area is 'ensuring the resilience of local authorities, infrastructures and essential services'. This emphasises steps to protect public transportation from the impacts of global warming, as well as studies to determine how a 4C temperature rise would affect health services.
The third is 'adapting human activities'. This includes measures related to food and energy production. For example, support for farms and the agri-food industry 'in the face of climatic hazards and to initiate the transition to resilient, low-carbon models'.
The fourth is 'protecting France's natural and cultural heritage', especially the country's most visited sites like the Eiffel Tower and Mont Saint Michel. One measure outlined would involve creating a climate risk map for all of the country's main heritage sites.
And the fifth is 'mobilising the nation's forces to successfully adapt to climate change', which outlines the ways French public services would integrate climate response into their missions.
Within this section, there is also a specific measure related to using AI to help with climate change response. For instance, training it to judge environmental conditions (ex soil humidity) to offer a probability estimate for the next extreme heatwave up to a month before it occurs.
How have people responded to the plan?
Thus far, the reaction has been mixed, despite calls from government bodies, like the Cour des Comptes to better recognise the urgency of the climate crisis and respond with a 'a wall of investment'.
Stakeholders like the France Assureurs association have insisted the budget proposals are insufficient, Franceinfo reported.
Green groups, including France Nature environnement (FNE) told the French press that although the plan contains a 'number of good intentions' how they will be financed and operated remains unknown.
In terms of funding, Pannier-Runacher announced that the government had earmarked around €600 million for adaptation to climate change, according to l'Humanité.
Half of that would come from funding already allocated under previous PM Michel Barnier's administration, while another €260 million would come from the 'Green Fund' meant to help local authorities.
Anticipated since the end of 2023 as part of the strategy of former PM Elisabeth Borne, the Pnacc has long been touted as one of the major weapons to combat global warming.
However, it was constantly postponed in line with various political deadlines, until the dissolution of June 2024, which once again postponed it.
