France's Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

Feuille de route de la France pour une sortie progressive des énergies fossiles

Date published

This Roadmap outlines France's commitment to transition away from fossil fuels. It was developed in the context of the Paris Agreement, Decision 1/CMA.5 on the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake to "[transition] away from fossil fuels, away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science", and European Union commitments to ensure that the European energy sector becomes largely free of fossil fuels.
While this Roadmap does not present new pledges, it brings existing climate and energy policies and targets under one umbrella with an explicit goal to transition away from fossil fuels. This Roadmap refers to the National Low Carbon Strategy (SNBC) and the Multiannual Energy Planning (PPE) for the following targets:
<ul>
<li>End-of-consumption targets for coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and fossil gas by 2050;</li>
<li>Close the last two coal-fired power plants by 2027.</li>
</ul>
This Roadmap also refers to National Plan for the Electrification of End-Uses (23 April 2026), which contains measures to reduce France's dependence on hydrocarbons across the sectors of transport, buildings, industry and small-scale manufacturing. In addition, the Roadmap refers to France's role in co-chairing the Coal Transition Commission launched at COP28 in Dubai in 2023, alongside Indonesia, as well as other coalitions and involvement in international climate finance.

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

This sector involves the wholesale and retail selling of goods.

A long-lived, colourless gas, chiefly emitted from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and cement production.

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

A subsidy is a direct or indirect payment to individuals or businesses, typically provided as a government cash payment or a specific tax reduction.

A ban is a legal action that prevents the sale or supply of a product or service, or that recalls a product from the market. Examples are bans on SF6, greenwashing, fossil fuel advertisement or single-use plastics.

This sector includes firms and individuals offering specialised expertise in fields such as law, accounting, consulting, science and engineering.

Energy derived from biological compounds that are renewable due to their short life cycle within the carbon dioxide cycle.

Financial actors and resources that are primarily directed towards climate change mitigation, adaptation and compensation.

Direct investments by the governments using public funds. This can be to support climate initiatives or integrate climate into other projects.

Activities of businesses and institutions that provide financial services and products to individuals and organisations.

The activities of industries that transforms raw materials into finished goods through industrial processes.

The activities of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of energy, including electricity, gas, and renewables.

A commitment to balance GHG emissions with removal by a certain point in time, effectively reducing the net emissions to zero

Financial support to help individuals manage the effects of unexpected events, securing their livelihoods and increasing the resilience of people and businesses to the changing climate. It’s especially vital in developing regions where everyday risks, climate-related weather extremes, or crop failures can push people into poverty. Without insurance, people may have to resort to selling assets or cutting consumption to cope with losses.

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

The release of heat-trapping gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and industry.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.

A target to reduce the prevalence of a greenhouse gas over a specific time frame

Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock formed from carbonised plant matter, rich in carbon and hydrocarbons, and occurring in several main types including hard coal and brown coal.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Electrical energy generated from mechanical devices driven by flowing fresh water.

Social protection systems consist of policies that help people manage social risks in order to prevent poverty and maintain decent incomes and living standards

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

Kinetic energy of airflow transformed into useful energy, mostly electrical energy.

Production of electricity and heat from solar irradiation.

Dedicated pool of financial resources for climate-related projects.

A loan is a policy instrument where funds are provided to a borrower with the expectation of repaying the principal plus interest.

woman and genders outside of the gender binary

An agency providing government-backed financing, guarantees, and insurance to support domestic companies' international exports, that can play a role in financing climate-related projects.

This sector involves activities to move goods and people, alongside the storage of products.

The processes through which enterprises can identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address their actual and potential adverse impacts. Due diligence is the idea that reasonable precautions should be taken to avoid causing harm to people, the environment, or society. It also involves identifying and mitigating risks before they occur.

Fossil gas, commonly known as natural gas, is a fossil fuel consisting chiefly of methane with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and trace gases, found in underground deposits.

France's Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

Target

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Just transition

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance