HCC: France is designed for a climate that no longer exists

Paris – 09.07.2026: The Haut Conseil pour le climat (HCC) warns in its new annual report that France is organizationally and politically “designed for a climate that no longer exists.” The independent body sees progress but criticises significant shortcomings in emissions reduction, adaptation and governance. Particularly problematic is a weakening of the “pilotage”, i.e. coherent steering across ministries and levels. National strategies such as the Stratégie nationale bas‑carbone (SNBC) and the Programmation pluriannuelle de l’énergie (PPE) are not being implemented consistently or are being updated late. This makes reliable pathways to meeting the targets by 2030 more difficult.

Against the background of recurring heat waves and more intense extreme events, the HCC criticises insufficient adaptation measures. Many infrastructures – from transport routes to public buildings – are not designed for prolonged heat periods. Local preparedness structures, civil protection and the health system need robust heat protection plans, clear responsibilities and reliable data on risks and vulnerabilities. The council calls for adaptation financing and planning to be systematically anchored so that prevention does not lag behind emergency damage management.

According to the HCC, carbon budgets remain central to mitigation. France must quickly align sectoral contributions with the remaining emissions budgets to avoid missing interim targets by 2030. The council sees particular risks in the transport sector – for example in decarbonising road traffic – and in the building sector, where renovation rates and quality are insufficient. Reliable investment signals and planning certainty are also needed in industrial processes and agriculture to advance efficiency, electrification and renewables more quickly.

The political analysis comes at a time of increased attention to heat protection and supply security. The government points to resilience programmes, additional funds for energy renovations and the planned update of key planning documents. The HCC counters that goals, timelines and indicators must become more binding so that priorities between the state, regions and municipalities are clearly allocated and progress remains measurable.

The council recommends a “revival of climate governance”: regular, legally anchored reports on target achievement, coherent financing through multi-year frameworks and a closer integration of mitigation and adaptation – including early warning systems, heat-resistant standards and climate-resilient urban planning. Without such steps, rising damage from extreme weather and a failure to meet international commitments would be likely. At the same time, the report points out that forward-looking investments can reduce costs in the long term and increase the resilience of the economy and the population.