Paris – 09.06.2026: According to the annual report by the NGO Reclaim Finance, consulted by Franceinfo on Tuesday, investments by French banks in fossil energies have decreased within a year from 18 to 16 billion dollars. This development shows a trend towards reducing financial support for fossil fuels.
Despite this decline, Société Générale remains an exception. It did not reduce its investments in fossil energies in 2025 compared to the previous year. On the contrary, the Reclaim Finance report points out that Société Générale even increased its financing for fossil fuels. This contradicts the overall efforts of the industry to reduce financing of fossil energies.
However, French banks have overall significantly increased their investments in renewable energies. In 2025, financing for renewable energies amounted to 102 billion euros, representing an increase of 92% within three years. Additionally, the volume of green and sustainable loans on banks’ balance sheets rose by 8.3%, from 471 billion euros in 2024 to 510 billion euros in 2025.
Despite these advances, financing fossil energies remains a controversial issue. Some banks, including Société Générale, have increased their investments in fossil fuels, raising questions about the consistency of their climate protection strategies. These discrepancies have led to criticism from environmental organizations calling for a more consistent alignment of financing with sustainable projects.
However, Société Générale has taken steps to decarbonize its activities. It has committed to fully exit the thermal coal sector by 2030, initially in the EU and OECD and globally by 2040. Furthermore, the bank announced plans to reduce its exposure to the upstream oil and gas industry by 80% by 2030 compared to 2019, with an interim target of 50% by the end of 2025.
Despite these commitments, the question remains whether Société Générale’s current investment decisions align with its long-term climate goals. The bank is under pressure to make its financing strategies more transparent and ensure its investments comply with global climate objectives.
Overall, the development shows that French banks are making progress in financing renewable energies, but challenges persist in reducing support for fossil fuels. Société Génale is in focus as its investment decisions significantly influence the industry’s perception regarding its climate commitments.
The discussion about financing fossil energies remains a central topic in the context of global climate protection efforts. Further analyses and reports are expected to be published in the coming months to shed more light on developments in this area.