Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/NC/11
21 November 1995
Original: ENGLISH AND FRENCH
In accordance with decision 9/2 of the Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee of the Framework Convention on Climate Change
(INC/FCCC), the interim secretariat is to make available, in the
official languages of the United Nations, the executive summaries of
the national communications submitted by Annex I
Parties.
Note: Executive summaries of national communications issued
prior to the first session of the Conference of the Parties bear the
symbol A/AC.237/NC/___.
GE.95-
|
Secretariat de la Mission Ministere de l'enveronment 20, avenue de Segur 75302 Paris Cedex 07SP Fax No. (33-1) 40 81 23 93 |
This document has been reproduced without formal
editing.
INTRODUCTION
1. Awareness of the threat to the climate owing to the rising
emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide
(CO2), led the French government to undertake a policy of
controlling the emissions of greenhouse gases, as a precautionary
measure.
2. This commitment by the French authorities was reflected in
active participation in international projects, particularly the
negotiation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, which was ratified by France on 25 March 1994.
3. This commitment to adopt policies and measures aimed at
limiting the emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
not regulated by the Montreal Protocol, which figures in Article 4,
paragraph 2 of the Convention, will be applied throughout the
European Union, with the Union and its member states acting according
to their respective competence. The initiatives now being taken by
the community are in fact particularly important and effective in
many fields such as transport, duty on fuels, miscellaneous
regulations (notably as regards the environment) and the Common
Agricultural Policy.
4. The energy policy operated by the French authorities since the
first oil shock has already enabled them to reduce CO2
emissions very considerably, and thus the contribution of France to
the greenhouse effect. This policy has relied on the following, in
particular:
the specification of strict regulations aiming to encourage energy
saving. Heating regulations for dwellings is a very significant
example of this.
the use of taxation. The high level of tax on fuels, which is
above the levels practised in most developed countries, has
contributed strongly in the past to limitation of carbon dioxide
emissions. In addition, numerous fiscal encouragements aiming to
improve energy efficiency have been put in place since 1974,
especially in industry and in the home.
a large programme of energy saving and energy efficiency, to develop and disseminate "clean and sensible" energy policies. Since 1974, France has run an Energy Saving Agency, which has dealt with energy consumption as final demand and in industrial activity, constituting a centre of skill and expertise over time.
the development of a large nuclear power-generation pool, which
has led to a reduction in CO2 emissions not only in France
but also in the neighbouring States.
5. Between 1980 and 1990, the magnitude of this policy has enabled France to reduce CO2 emissions per inhabitant more than any other member state of the European Union
(-26 per cent against a European average of -19.3 per cent).
Within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD), only Sweden (now a member of the European Union) has achieved
a better reduction than this. In total, the emission levels due to
the use of fossil-fuel energy, per inhabitant and per unit of gross
domestic product (GDP), was less in 1990 by 22 per cent and 35 per
cent respectively than the average of the 12 European nations, and 44
per cent and 36 per cent less than the average OECD
levels.
INVENTORY OF GREENHOUSE EFFECT GAS
EMISSIONS
6. The following table summarizes the emissions of all greenhouse
effect gases. This inventory was drawn up from the Corinair inventory
and transposed into the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) format.
|
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|
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CO2 |
|
|
|
Emissions in all sectors |
|
|
|
Energy use |
|
|
|
Industrial processes |
|
|
|
CO2 - Absorption by ground and forests |
|
|
|
CO2 - Total net emissions |
|
|
|
(International carriers - for ref.) |
|
|
|
CH4 |
|
|
|
N2O |
|
|
|
NOx |
|
|
|
COV |
|
|
|
CO |
|
|
CO2 Emissions
7. Shown in terms of inhabitant and unit of GDP, the total
net emissions of carbon dioxide in France are particularly low for an
industrialized country at 5.92 tonnes per inhabitant and 0.31 tonnes
per billion dollars in 1990, as indicated in the
introduction.
8. Their breakdown by sector was as follows in
1990:
|
Emitting sector |
|
|
|
Energy (Production and transformation) |
|
|
|
Industry |
|
|
|
Transport |
|
|
|
Residential/Tertiary |
|
|
|
Agriculture |
|
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
9. It should be emphasized that the winter of 1990 was mild. In
average climatic conditions, the consumption of fossil-based energy
(excepting electricity) for heating of buildings would have increased
CO2 emissions by 9.5 million tonnes, which is 3 per cent
of the gross emissions in 1990.
10. The very slight increase of emissions due to the use of
fossil-based energy seen between 1990 and 1993 resulted mainly from
variations in climate, the winter of 1993 having been very close to
normal. Nevertheless, two facts, independent of climatic changes,
deserve to be emphasized:
a continuous increase in CO2 emissions in the overseas
departments and territories (DOM-TOM) between 1990 and 1993 (over 20
per cent),
the regular increase in CO2 emissions in the transport
sector over the same period (5.5 per cent).
11. The latter is an indication of an ongoing trend. From 1980 to
1993, CO2 emissions related to the use of fossil-based
energy in the various sectors in metropolitan France, after
correction for climate variations, have evolved as
follows:
|
Transport |
+ 39 per cent |
|
Residential and Tertiary |
- 13 per cent |
|
Industry and agriculture |
- 37 per cent |
|
Electric power stations |
- 76 per cent |
|
Weighted average. |
- 25 per cent |
Methane emissions
12. The data given for methane and nitrous oxide emissions are
very imprecise, particularly when account is taken of uncertainties
applicable to the techniques used to measure these emissions in the
agricultural and waste dump areas.
13. Methane emissions amounted in 1990 to about 2.90 million
tonnes, over 55 per cent of which came from agricultural activities,
25 per cent from waste disposal, and especially the consignment of
waste to dumps, and 10 per cent from fugitive emissions in the course
of fuel extraction and distribution, the remainder occurring in the
course of fuel consumption.
14. Since 1970, France has reduced its emissions due to coal
production and gas distribution, with the closure of many mines and
investments made for the purpose of improving the gas distribution
networks.
15. On the other hand, the increase in the volume of waste
breaking down in dumps certainly contributed in the 1980's to a
significant growth in methane emissions from dumps. The policy of
eliminating dumping, adopted in 1992, has not yet had time to produce
any notable effects.
Nitrous oxide emissions
16. NO2 emissions in 1990 amounted to about 177,000
tonnes, 60 per cent of which came from industrial processes, and 35
per cent from the use of fertilizers in agriculture. Marginally, some
emissions also come from energy production in flame-powered thermal
power stations or from motor vehicles.
Gases with an indirect effect, tropospheric ozone
precursors
17. Emissions of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and
carbon monoxide, are estimated respectively at about 1.7 million
tonnes, 2.4 million tonnes and 11 million tonnes for 1990. The use of
fossil-based energy is by far the main source of emission of these
indirect-effect gases, with the exception of the VOC emissions, or an
equally large part of emissions coming from the use of
solvents.
DESCRIPTION OF THE POLICIES AND MEASURES FOR REDUCTION OF
GREENHOUSE-EFFECT GAS EMISSIONS
Reduction of CO2
emissions
Buildings
18. If account is taken of emissions due to flame-combustion power
plants, which are due in essence to seasonal requirements for
electric heating, the building sector represents over one third of
CO2 emissions in France. France conducted a vigorous
energy conservation policy in this sector since the first oil shock,
using regulatory measures governing new buildings and incentives
aimed at existing buildings.
New buildings
19. From 1974 onward, France has taken the initiative, in close
association with professionals in the building industry, of
legislating requirements to be applied to the thermal insulation of
new buildings. The fairly irreversible character of decisions made in
the area of new construction encouraged France to go even further and
to anticipate the progressive growth of the constraints which will be
put in place to mitigate global warming.
From 1 January 1997, thermal standards for dwellings will be
strengthened by raising the requirements in proportion to the energy
gain obtained by substituting slightly emissive double glazing with
ordinary double-glazing. This measure will result in a reduction of 5
to 10 per cent of heating needs.
Thermal standards of the tertiary sector, which was far behind
that applicable to dwellings, will be reinforced with an objective of
reducing energy consumption by 25 per cent. This will take effect
before 1 July 1997 for non-air-conditioned buildings, and before 1
January 1999 for air-conditioned buildings.
20. These two measures will give a gain of 0.16 MtC in the year 2000. However, they also have a cumulative effect which makes their long-term impact far greater than the
short-term effect.
Existing buildings
21. Ever since the first oil shock in 1973, France has been
developing a vigorous energy conservation policy in the area of
existing buildings, and substantial improvements have been achieved
here. Nevertheless, viable interventions in respect of energy
conservation still remain to be effected, and this policy will be
pursued through measures which depend upon information to users,
regulation and standardization of new equipments and incentives for
investments leading to energy saving.
22. For State buildings, the Government has set itself the
objective of making energy conservation investments between 1995 and
1997 which have a 6 years payback time. This should result in a
reduction of 12 per cent in their energy consumption.
23. Finally with regard to the fiscal approach to prevent global
warming, France has proposed to its partners in the European Union
that a tax be levied on fuels used in the residential and tertiary
areas.
24. In all, the measures concerning existing buildings should
enable a gain of 3.4 MtC per annum to be achieved in the year
2000.
Development of the use of wood in construction
25. France has decided to develop the use of wood in construction,
and this action can be divided into three components:
the development of the promotion of wood in the construction
industry;
the removal of factors which are preventing wider use of wood in
construction, through research, development, and ad hoc publicity;
and
the development of a strategy for industrial products or
semi-products based on the sawmill industry.
26. The aim is to store an additional 0.35 MtC/year by the year
2010, over and above the 1990 figure.
Industry
27. Cooperation with companies in the energy intensive sectors is
being conducted with a view to achieving the signature of voluntary
agreements which will lead to significant savings in fossil-based
carbon emissions; potential emission reductions are estimated at 5
MtC a year in this field on the basis of 1990 activity.
28. In parallel with this, the policy of public aid in the control
of energy use in industry, including financial aid (support for
research and development, aid for demonstration of exemplary
investment, etc.) and fiscal encouragements (exceptional
depreciation, exoneration or reduction of various indirect taxation
thresholds, etc.), will be pursued.
Transport
29. Transport (with the exception of maritime bunkers) represent
over one third of French CO2 emissions, and constitute the
sector in which emission growth is fastest. In addition to specific
measures adopted to mitigate global warming, many other public
measures, necessary for various reasons within the transport policy,
also have the effect of reducing this contribution. It should be
noted that many of these actions originate from initiatives to be
taken by the European Union.
Transport of merchandise (other than commercial
vehicles)
30. With the aim of establishing the best conditions for exercising the profession of road transportation of goods, various measures have been adopted in cooperation with the profession (strengthening of the conditions of access to the profession, imposition of
sanctions if the regulations are not observed, etc.). These
measures could achieve a reduction in emissions due to road
transportation of goods of about 0.4 MtC per annum in the year
2000.
31. Moreover, France is proposing to its partners in the European
Union that it should programme the progressive raising of the minimum
rate of community excise on gasoil, in order to transfer to the
transport industry all of the costs which they create for the general
public. An increase of 10 per cent in the price of gasoil will lead
to a reduction in carbon emissions of 0.15 MtC/yr.
32. It is intended to double combined road-rail traffic between
1990 and 2000, and this will result in a carbon emission reduction of
0.13 MtC/yr. As soon as 1995 onward, credits available to such
combined transportation were increased by 300 MF.
33. Finally, technical actions relating to the vehicles themselves
will be studied in a community context, with the objective of
reducing unit consumption by 20 per cent between now and
2015.
Passenger transportation and commercial
vehicles
34. In 1994, the government adopted two measures to reduce
polluting emissions from the existing car pool, which will also have
an impact on CO2 emissions:
The obligation to repair vehicles which have been declared
defective in respect of pollutant emission when they are subjected to
technical checks should result in a gain of 0.32 MtC per
year;
A payment of 5000 French francs for the replacement by a new vehicle of one which is over 10 years old, and due to be scrapped, should lead to a short-term reduction of tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon in French emissions.
35. Furthermore, France has the intention to promote the
following:
Reduction in the European Union of the level of specific
consumption of new vehicles. This average level could be set, for
example, to 5L/100 km by 2005. To this end, France is proposing that
the feasibility of a system of negotiable permits should be studied
at the European Union level. France has also undertaken a study at
national level on a possible change in the road tax payable annually
by motorists, to act as motivation;
Development of vehicles specifically for town use;
Development of electric vehicles and other alternative vehicle
types (GPL/GNV).
36. Policies relating to urban transportation will have a
considerable impact on CO2 emissions, and should set
themselves the objective of controlling the growth of motorized
transportation and facilitating the use of more economical modes of
transport in terms of space and energy. Though these policies are the
prerogative of local authorities, these authorities will be made
aware of their responsibilities in the matter. In addition to the
investment capital which it allocates to local authorities for public
transport, to the value of 5.5 GF per year, the State also intends to
assist them in the conducting of the necessary studies and in their
documentation.
37. Finally, the development of high-speed trains for inter-city travel is leading to an energy-efficient alternative to the use of cars or aircraft. It also substitutes electrical energy for fossil-fuel energy. The estimated gain in respect of CO2 emissions is 0.13 MtC/yr by the year 2000.
Electricity generation
38. The special character of France in electricity production,
related to the magnitude of the nuclear contribution to electricity
generation, is considerably reducing its margin of manoeuvre in the
future development of its emissions in this sector. Only reduction of
the peak of electricity demand and substitution of electricity for
fossil fuels for non-seasonal uses will lead to reductions in
CO2 emissions. To this end:
EDF is proposing a new price structure which is modulated with
time (the "Tempo" charging system, which includes 6 time zones with
different charges throughout the year), and this should lead to a
reduction in peak electricity consumption, with a consequent emission
gain of 0.5 MtC/yr in 2000.
Demand side management action started in 1993 and affecting
seasonal demand and demand in "départements" not connected to
the metropolitan network in particular (Corsica and DOM-TOM), should
lead to additional emission reductions of 1.7 MtC per annum by the
year 2010.
EDF also will promote the penetration of electricity into the area
of non-seasonal uses in industry. The use of investment with a return
period of under 6 years can lead to emission reductions of up to 1.8
Mt/yr by 2000.
Equalization of low voltage electricity prices over the whole
country leads to over-consumption of electricity, both in isolated
regions where electricity is frequently fossil-fuel based, or in
sparsely-inhabited rural zones where it can artificially replace
renewable energy sources. EDF will invest 100 MF/year in operations
designed to prevent this.
Development of the carbon sinks related to
forest
39. France decided to develop its policy of public support to
forestry (aid toward plantation, to which was added a bonus for
revenue compensation), setting itself the objective for increasing
the rate of supported afforested land from 10,000 hectares per year
over the decade of the 1980s, to 30,000 hectares per year from 1998
onward. This policy will enable it to maintain the rate of increase
in carbon stocks in the forest by the year 2000 at its 1990 level,
compensating for the natural slowing of carbon storage in the forest
already existing in 1990, and which is progressively reaching
maturity.
Changes in land use
40. Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy in 1992 should put a
brake on the movement of grassland or woodland conversion into arable
land, which was a result of the agricultural policy followed since
the sixties. This will result in a reduction of carbon emissions from
the soil estimated at 2 MtC per year by 2000.
Renewable energy
41. The measures adopted in this area (development of wind and
hydro power; development of wood as an energy source, in particular
by the launch of the "Wood Energy Plan" which was aimed at the
structuring, in a certain number of pilot regions, of a veritable
wood-energy chain for collective heating; development of the
agricultural biomass for energy uses; use of energy generated from
waste) should lead to savings of some 0.64 MtC/year by
2000.
Other greenhouse-effect gases (methane, nitrous oxide
precursors of tropospheric ozone)
42. Changes in the emission of these gases will come in the main
from measures adopted for a variety of reasons in the context of
environmental policy (the law on waste, which forbids the dumping of
normal waste, regulatory actions concerning automobile pollution,
protection of waterways against pollution by nitrates, etc.) or of
sectorial policies (agricultural policy in particular).
43. Special regulatory measures will nevertheless be implemented
with a view to limiting CH4 emissions from existing dumps
and N2O emissions from the main industrial emitters.
Investments to be made in adipic acid, nitric acid and glyoxylic acid
plants, should reduce emissions of N2O on the industrial
sector by 72 thousand tonnes between now and the year 2000. The
reduction in N2O emissions in the agricultural area is
estimated to be 7.5 thousand tonnes of N2O per year
between 1990 and 2000.
GREENHOUSE-EFFECT GAS EMISSION
SCENARIOS
44. Given the present programme, the emissions in metropolitan
France due to energy use may increase from 104.5 million tonnes of
carbon (MtC) in 1990(2), to 108.5 MtC
in 2000, though this includes a range of uncertainty of some 20 MtC.
This uncertainty is related to contingencies concerning growth, oil
prices, the availability of nuclear power plant, and the
climate.
45. Where other greenhouse-effect gases are concerned, the actions
set in train should enable emissions of methane to be stabilized in
the year 2000 at their 1990 levels, with nitrous oxide emissions
reducing by half and those of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic
gases reducing by a third.
46. By weighing the emissions of methane and of nitrous oxide by
their global warming potential over 100 years, as indicated by the
IPCC in 1994 (24.5 for CH4 and 320 for N2O), we
arrive at the following figures for net emissions, expressed in
millions of equivalent tonnes of carbon, in accordance with the IPCC
methodology (that is not corrected for climate, and including
DOM-TOMs but not carriers).
|
Mt C equivalent |
|
|
Growth 1990/2000 |
|
CO2 |
|
|
|
|
CH4 |
|
|
|
|
N2O |
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
47. One should however keep in mind the considerable uncertainty affecting these emission forecasts for reasons which are independent of the national climate change mitigation programme.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND FINANCIAL
MECHANISMS
Cooperation with developing countries
48. In 1992, the amount of official development assistance (ODA)
from the French government was almost 44 billion francs. Its ODA rate
in relation to gross domestic product (0.63 per cent in 1992) places
France in the number five position in the OECD. In absolute figures,
France is the third largest contributor to the Development Aid
Committee of the OECD, after the United States and
Japan.
49. France is also committed to increasing its ODA rate to 0.7 per
cent of GDP between now and the end of the century.
Bilateral aid
50. In parallel with the re-constitution of funds for the Global
Environment Facility (GEF), France has also put in place the French
global environment facility, consisting of 0.44 billion francs over
the period 1994-1998, in order to stimulate the French aid effort in
the area of global environment, providing it with new intervention
resources. France thus intends to finance exemplary projects forming
part of wider programmes of sustainable development.
51. In addition, numerous projects undertaken in the context of
the ODA also contribute to the mitigation of the greenhouse effect in
the receiving countries.
Of the 25 billion francs devoted to project oriented assistance during the 1992/1993 period, in the form of subsidies or loans with conditions which are more advantageous than those of the open market, about 5 per cent relate to operations favouring the mitigation of the greenhouse effect (some 1.2 billion francs). These are, inter alia, rural
development projects; sustainable management projects of forest
areas; projects aiming at increasing the use of waste, renewable
energy and natural gas; projects in support of better management of
the electricity sector; investment projects in the rail-transport
area or public transport in conurbations.
France considers that reducing the debts of poor countries is also
a measure which favours preservation of the environment in general
and mitigation of the greenhouse effect in particular. The
commitments of France for this purpose, between 1988 and 1993,
amounted to 16.2 billion francs. In 1994, cancellation of payments to
the value of 25 billion francs in respect of countries in the 'Franc
Zone" was announced as a measure aimed at softening the effect for a
50 per cent devaluation of the CFA (African Financial Community)
franc. Finally, in 1993 France established a "debt conversion fund
for development" for the four intermediate income countries in the
franc zone of sub-Saharan Africa, with the objective of converting
debt to the benefit of sustained development. Projects to safeguard
the environment is one of the categories into which these operations
can fall.
The contribution in the research area was 2.5 billion francs in
1992, this being devoted mainly to financing specialized research
bodies, the CIRAD and the ORSTOM, which run many programmes in the
agricultural and forestry areas in particular. These programmes
contribute widely to the mitigation of climate change in the
developing countries.
Multilateral aid
52. In order to deal with the global threats to the planet such as
global warming, damage to the ozone layer, the reduction of
biodiversity and the pollution of international waters, France and
Germany proposed in 1989, at the annual meetings of the International
Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the creation of a special financial
mechanism intended to assist developing countries face this new
challenge. This mechanism was created in November 1990 and the sum of
1.1 billion dollars was made available for a 3-year pilot phase.
During this period, France and Germany were the leading contributors
with 0.81 billion francs, or 18 per cent of the total
contribution.
53. In March 1994, the resources of the GEF were reconstituted to
the extent of 2 billion dollars for a further 4-year period; France
continued its contribution of 0.81 billion francs. The different
countries' contributions were based on a rule very similar to that of
IDA-10.
54. France is of the opinion that since these contributions from
the developed countries are intended to prevent global pollution, the
distribution rule should evolve in the future so as to take into
account both GDP and the damage done to the global environment (the
level of CO2 emissions) by the donor
countries.
Cooperation with countries in transition to market
economies
Safety of the nuclear industry
55. In close cooperation with Germany, France has played a leading
role in the cooperation exercised by the international community for
almost four years now, in favour of improving nuclear safety in the
countries of central and eastern Europe, and of the former USSR.
France thus agrees a financial effort of 200 MF (for 1993/94) to
international funds for nuclear safety in the east, controlled by the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and 150 MF
for bilateral operations. To this has been added a voluntary
contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency (4 MF in 1992
and 1993) and the placing of France experts at the disposal of the
agency.
56. This cooperation mainly concerns safety in control of the
process, an improvement in the technical arrangements, and the
strengthening of regulatory regimes for nuclear power
stations.
57. The objective of these actions is to avoid any new accident
with direct serious consequences, which could hinder nuclear
development, even where the industry is designed and run in a
reliable manner, and to preserve a means of a carbon free electricity
production scheme, avoiding the emission of some 60 MtC per year in
the countries concerned.
Energy saving and reduction of natural gas
leaks
58. In all of the countries of Eastern Europe, it is estimated
that 30 per cent of the energy used could be saved by introducing
practices common in the West.
59. Actions financed by French and bilateral funding are
frequently the first stage of a project which is then continued by
multilateral financing (World Bank, EBRD, the Phare and Tacis
Community programmes, etc.).
60. If these various actions are to be really effective, the
energy users in these countries must be made aware of energy
management, and as far as Russia is concerned, priority in this
process is given to bringing fuel prices rapidly into line with world
levels.
61. Active cooperation is also developing in the area of natural
gas, under the leadership of Gaz de France, which has applied itself
since 1991 to convincing its partners, through various projects
(training, demonstrations, etc.), of the effectiveness of
distribution techniques using polyethylene pipe
networks.
RESEARCH
Global climatic changes
62. At international level, research at present is structured in
the field of the physical, chemical and biological aspects for
investigating changes in climate arising from human activities, with
the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the International
Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). French research is organized
along the lines of the international model although, in order to
highlight the fact that changes in the climate and the global
environment are the result of interactions between all components in
the earth system, it has been combined into a single programme, the
French IGBP which therefore includes the national contribution to the
WCRP and the IGBP.
63. Pending the introduction of effective international
co-ordination of research in the field of social economics, research
into the human aspects of climate change has been combined in the
"Economy, society and global change" (ESCG) programme.
64. The total budget for motivational research credits came to 180
MF in 1992.
Research into the reduction of emissions
65. The purpose of the ADEME is to lead and orientate
technological research into the areas of renewable energy, and energy
efficiency in industry, transportation, and construction. Eight
hundred million francs of credits were devoted to the budget of this
agency from 1990 to 1994.
66. In addition, the National Institute for Agronomic Research
provides coordination of the programme of research into the magnitude
and conditions of emissions (or storage) of greenhouse gases within
the rural sector, in which various public research organizations take
part. Over the period from 1992 to 1994, this programme has enabled
public resources to the amount of 17 million francs to be brought
into play.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
67. National communications presented by the Annex 1 countries at
this stage, are built on a set of policies and measures which will be
implemented with the aim of returning the greenhouse gas emissions of
these countries to their 1990 levels by the year 2000. This is only a
first step towards the ultimate objective of the
Convention.
68. The cost of the new measures to be taken in a second step will
differ greatly from one country to another, mainly with respect to
the efforts which have already been put in, and of the results
achieved in the area of energy policy. When introducing new
commitments, full account should be taken of these differences in the
Parties' starting points.
69. France considers that the most effective and equitable way of
sharing the effort of reducing CO2 emissions between the
developed countries was to introduce, in all these countries, all
emission reductions whose cost is below a common reference level. The
simplest and cheapest way of achieving this result, and the one most
transparent for all concerned, in terms of administrative costs, is
to institute progressive CO2 taxation at coordinated rates
in these different countries within their fiscal regimes. This
approach is also the one which minimizes the cost of reducing
CO2 emissions within each country.
70. This kind of fiscal approach, established in a sufficiently
wide context to take into account the competitive nature of the
activities to which it applies, will be essential in reaching the
ultimate objective of the Convention. In parallel with this, it is
necessary to emphasize the importance which must be attached to
removing all subsidies in all of these countries which encourage the
consumption of fossil fuels. These subsidies may take the form of
internal prices for fuels or oils which are less than world prices;
it may also consist of selling electricity at prices below production
cost or of subsidizing certain activities which are very large
consumers of fossil-based energy.
71. The methods applied for organizing the world-wide effort
should be defined with a view to preserving fair competition between
firms in the framework of international trade and in that of the
internal market of the European Union. One of the priorities in
organizing international trade should be to ensure that the rules
governing this trade do not constitute an insurmountable obstacle to
the protection of the world's environment. It would be appropriate
for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be
amended to include provisions similar to those of Article 4 of the
Montreal Protocol on chlorofluorocarbons to ensure that non-signatory
countries do not benefit unjustifiably, in international trade, from
the fact that they are not involved in the joint efforts to protect
the atmosphere.
1. 1 Provisional estimate at 04/11/1994
2. 2 Carriers included, and after correction of the effect of climate on the heating requirements of buildings.