Overview
In 2022, final energy consumption in France reached 136 Mtoe, 7% below its 2000 level, while GDP increased by 30%. The transport sector, the largest share of final energy consumption since 2000, accounted for 33% of the total in 2022. The residential sector’s consumption decreased by 3% between 2000 and 2022. The final consumption of the service sector decreased to reach 20.8 Mtoe in 2022, or 15% of the total. The largest change is in the industry’s final energy consumption, which decreased by 1% per year between 2000 and 2022, while still representing 19% of the total in 2022. Agriculture’s energy consumption has increased by 10% between 2000 and 2022.
Figure 1: Final energy consumption by sector
Energy efficiency, as measured by ODEX (an indicator which aggregates the energy efficiency progress for all sectors and end-uses), improved by an average of 1.3%/year or 24% from 2000 to 2022. The residential sector achieved the largest gains (1.9%/year). The service and transport sectors are 20% more efficient in 2022 than in 2000. After seeing massive improvements in the early 2000s, energy efficiency gains in the industry stagnated between 2009 and 2015 before improving by 0.9% per year until 2022.
Figure 2: Technical Energy Efficiency Index
Energy efficiency is a central principle in the French low-carbon transition. The Energy Transition Act of 2015 introduced a provision aimed to halve final energy consumption between 2012 and 2050. The Multiannual Energy Programming and the National Low-Carbon Strategy are the key planning documents outlining the roadmap for achieving energy efficiency targets both in the short and long term. In 2014, to comply with the Energy Efficiency Directive, France adopted its third National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) setting a final consumption target of 131 Mtoe in 2020, which was reached with the Covid-19 pandemic being likely responsible for the drop in energy consumption. The 2024 National Energy and Climate Plan, sets a target of 30% reduction in final energy consumption in 2030 compared to 2012, to reach 107 Mtoe of final energy consumption in 2030 or a 21% lower than 2022 level. The two main cross-cutting measures enabling France to reach its energy savings target are:
- The Heat Fund, and
- The Energy Saving Certificates scheme,
These measures is expected to set a 3100 TWhc savings target for the 5th period (2022-2025), 45% higher than the 4th period’s target. In addition, the French government realised 2 energy sufficiency plans in 2022 and 2023.
| Measures | Description |
| Energy Saving Certificates (ESC) | The ESC scheme requires energy retailers and fuel suppliers to achieve specific energy savings. Obligated parties fulfil these targets by encouraging their customers, primarily in the building sector, to reduce energy consumption. On top of energy saving actions, the certificates can also be delivered for the deployment of energy efficiency programmes. It is the only measure reported to the EED regarding final energy consumption target under Article 8. |
| Heat Fund | The Heat Fund supports the production of heat from renewable energies, such as the development of the use of biomass (forestry, agricultural, biogas, etc.), geothermal energy (through direct use or by means of heat pumps), solar, thermal energy, recovered energies, as well as the networks linked to these energies. |
Buildings
In the residential sector, final energy consumption reached its lowest level since 2000, likely impacted by the energy crisis. In 2022, space heating accounted for 69% of the sector’s consumption, electrical appliances for 16%, water heating for 10% and cooking for 5%. Energy consumption per m2 for space heating has decreased by 29% over the period (-1.5%/year). Besides, the consumption of electrical appliances and lighting per dwelling increased by 8% between 2000 and 2022. This can be attributed to the growing number connected devices per households. In the meantime, energy consumption for water heating, cooking and all other end-uses remained almost stable around 0.23 toe/dw between 2000 and 2021, while it dropped by 13% to 0.20 toe/dw in 2022.
Figure 3: Energy consumption of household space heating per m²
Figure 4: Energy consumption per dwelling by end-use (except space heating)
The final energy consumption of households was 3.2 Mtoe lower in 2022 than in 2000. Several factors contributed to the increase this consumption : the number of dwellings (“more dwellings”)(+9.2 Mtoe), the equipment ownership rate (“more appliances per dwelling”)(+4.4 Mtoe) and the larger size of dwellings (+1.4 Mtoe). However, energy savings largely offset the effect of these socio-economical drivers and reduced the residential sector’s energy consumption by 18.4 Mtoe. The climate was milder in 2022 leading to a decrease in energy consumption (-2.4 Mtoe). The others effect combined two opposite effects: the higher consumption of ambient heat (+3.4 Mtoe) and changes of behaviour driven in 2022 by higher energy prices (+13%).
Figure 5: Main drivers of the energy consumption variation in households
In the service sector, the total energy consumption per m² has decreased by 0.4%/year since 2000. However, until 2010, electricity consumption was increasing by 2%/year, driven by the widespread adoption of IT and electrical appliances, despite improvements in their efficiency. In the second half of the period, the electricity consumption has been decreasing, returning to its 2000 level.
Figure 6: Energy and electricity consumption per m² in services
Policies and measures implemented in the building sector
In France, building codes are key measures to improve energy efficiency in buildings. The last update (RE2020) is particularly ambitious with a maximum consumption of 100 kWh/m2 for all end-uses.
Still, three quarters of the current building stock was built without building codes. As a result, and despite the great efforts made since year 2000, the average performance of the building stock in terms of energy consumption per m² is one of the worst in Europe. Hence, to bring down energy consumption to a BBC level for the full building stock by 2050 (Ecological Transition Law), the government has set ambitious targets, such as the retrofitting of 500,000 existing dwellings each year. The Energy and Climate Act of 2019 also sets a new target to renovate all the “thermal sieves” within 10 years. To support thermal renovation in the residential sector, around €5.6 billion were invested by the government in “MaPrimeRénov’”, a state subsidy scheme. Furthermore, around 68% of the services sector’s building stock is now subjected to the Éco Énergie Tertiaire rule, which requires a 60% reduction in final energy consumption by 2050 compared to 2010 levels.
| Measures | Description |
| Building code of 2020 (RE 2020) | Requires all new buildings to produce more energy than it consumes based on the principle of positive energy buildings (PEB), (i.e., new residential buildings are required to have a primary energy consumption lower than a threshold 100 kWh/m²/year of all end-uses, varying by climate zone). |
| Éco-Énergie Tertiaire | Regulatory obligation imposing a 40% reduction in the services sector’s final energy consumption by 2030. Building owners also have a reporting obligation to measure progress. |
| Subsidy for thermal renovation of private dwellings “MaPrimeRénov’” | State subsidy accessible to all owners of a main residence to finance insulation, efficient heating and ventilation systems or energy audit works. The level of the aid (up to 20k€/dwelling) depends on the household’s income and can be improved for work on very poorly insulated dwellings. |
Building codes “RE 2020”- new buildings
The Building Codes “RE 2020” (Règlement Environnemental 2020) is a new building code issued by France, aiming to promote sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of new construction works. RE 2020 will be applied from January 1, 2022, replacing the previous code RT 2012 (Règlement Thermique 2012).
Key points of RE 2020:
- Reducing carbon emissions:
RE 2020 sets strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire lifecycle of a building, from construction, operation, to decommissioning. - Improving energy efficiency:
New buildings must be more energy efficient, reduce energy consumption, and switch to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or geothermal. - Improving insulation and reducing temperature:
RE 2020 requires improving the insulation of building materials to maintain indoor comfort, especially in the context of rising global temperatures. This reduces the reliance on cooling or heating systems. - Promoting environmentally friendly materials:
Policies encourage the use of low-carbon building materials such as wood, eco-concrete, or recycled products. - Towards “BEPOS” (energy positive buildings):
The long-term goal is to achieve buildings that are not only self-sufficient in energy but also generate surplus energy to supply the general grid.
Significance for sustainability:
RE 2020 is not only a technical standard but also reflects France’s commitment to achieving its goals on climate change, carbon emissions reduction and environmental protection. It promotes a strong transformation of the construction industry and creates incentives for green initiatives and technologies.
The policy plays an important role in establishing a reference standard for other countries that want to develop sustainable buildings.
Incentives and Sanctions Policies in RE 2020
RE 2020 is strictly applied with Incentives and Sanctions to ensure that stakeholders comply with green building standards. Here are the details:
- Incentives:
France encourages investors and contractors to adopt RE 2020 through financial incentives and technical support:
- Tax Credit:
Projects that use environmentally friendly materials or apply energy-saving technologies can receive tax reductions. - Preferential loan support:
Projects that achieve BEPOS (Building with Positive Energy) certification or exceed RE 2020 standards can access low-interest loans from the Government’s Sustainable Development Fund. - Green certification and increased real estate value:
Projects that comply with RE 2020 will easily achieve certifications such as HQE (High Environmental Quality) or BBC (Low-Energy Building), increasing commercial value and attracting buyers.
- Sanctions:
RE 2020 provides clear sanctions for violations, including:
- Fines:
Contractors or investors who do not meet RE 2020 standards can be fined between EUR 10,000 and EUR 100,000 depending on the severity of the violation and the scale of the project. - Project suspension or suspension:
Constructions that seriously violate energy efficiency or use inappropriate materials can have their construction suspended until they meet the requirements. - Blacklist:
Contractors who repeatedly violate will be blacklisted, losing the opportunity to bid for future public construction projects. - Additional administrative penalties:
If the violation results in serious environmental consequences, the investor may be held liable and subject to additional penalties.
Actual figures (as of 2024):
- Carbon emissions reduction rate of new buildings:
According to a report from the French Government, RE 2020 has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new buildings by about 30% compared to the RT 2012 standard. - Renewable energy:
About 80% of new buildings built from 2022 will use at least one renewable energy source, such as solar panels or heat pumps. - Compliance costs:
Construction costs increase by an average of 5-10% for buildings using environmentally friendly materials, but are offset by lower operating costs. - Leading cities:
Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux are the regions that have most effectively applied RE 2020, with more than 70% of buildings meeting BEPOS standards.