France has presented in Colombia a roadmap to abandon fossil fuels before 2050. The plan sets concrete deadlines: coal out by 2030, oil by 2045, and gas by 2050. The strategy aims to reduce emissions and comply with global climate agreements, setting a precedent in the first international conversations on energy transition.
The technical route to total decarbonization 🌍
The French plan relies on a massive deployment of renewable energies and nuclear power. It envisions tripling offshore wind and solar capacity by 2035, along with modernizing existing nuclear reactors. Electrification of transport and industry is key, with targets for 100% electric vehicle sales by 2035. Green hydrogen will cover industrial processes that are difficult to electrify, while carbon capture networks are developed for residual emissions.
France turns off the lights, but still doesn't know how 😅
The plan is ambitious, but leaves questions unanswered. For example, how do they plan to convince the owners of the 40 million gas boilers operating in French homes? Perhaps the government will distribute electric blankets and hope for a mild winter. Or maybe Parisian cats will have to learn to use solar panels. Meanwhile, oil company TotalEnergies is probably already calculating how to sell gas to Mars.