Carbon footprint and territorial emissions

Two complementary methods can be used to assess a country's pressure on the climate:

• National inventories (territorial approach) account for the quantities of GHGs physically emitted within the country by households (cars and dwellings) and economic activities (fossil energy consumption, industrial processes and emissions from agriculture). The data from the inventories, compiled each year to meet the standards of the UNFCCC, are the most common and currently the preferred data for monitoring national policies and making international comparisons.
• The carbon footprint is an estimate of the GHGs induced by the country's domestic final demand (final consumption and investments). The footprint is made up of direct household emissions (housing and vehicles), emissions from domestic production (excluding exports) and emissions from foreign economic activities whose production is destined for imports into the country.

Comparison of France's carbon footprint and thenational inventory in 2018

Note: the footprint and the inventory (see glossary) cover the three main GHG ( CO2, CH4, N2O ) excluding LULUCF.
Scope: Kyoto perimeter (metropolitan France and overseas territories belonging to the EU).
Sources: Citepa; IEA; FAO; Customs; Eurostat; Insee. Processing: SDES, 2022

The level of France's carbon footprint is significantly higher than the level of emissions on the national territory: 620 Mt CO2 eq versus 427 Mt CO2 eq, i.e. 45% more emissions in 2018. Emissions associated with exports represented 30% of emissions on the national territory while emissions associated with imports constituted half of the carbon footprint in 2018.

International comparison of CO2 emissions fromenergy combustion according to approaches

Source: I4CE, from Global Carbon Budget 2021, 2022 and World Bank 2022

Between 1990 and 2019, CO2 emissions from energy combustion in OECD countries increased by 2% under the inventory approach and by 6% under the footprint approach. Over this period, they decreased by 25% in the EU-27 under the inventory approach and by 21% under the footprint approach. In contrast, they tripled in China, regardless of the approach.

In 2019, China's per capita emissions were slightly higher than those of the EU-27 under the inventory approach (about 7.5 t CO2/capita versus 6.5 t CO2/capita , a 15% difference). On the other hand, under the footprint approach, China's per capita emissions were 13% lower than in the EU-27 and about 30% lower than the OECD average (6.7 t CO2/capita in China, compared to 7.7 t CO2/capita in the EU and 10.1 t CO2/capita on average in the OECD).

Evolution of France's carbon footprint

(e)= estimates.
Note: the carbon footprint covers the three main greenhouse gases ( CO2, CH4, N2O ).
Scope: "Kyoto" perimeter (metropolitan France and overseas territories belonging to the EU).
Sources: Citepa; IEA; FAO; Customs; Eurostat; INSEE. Processing: SDES, 2022

In 2021, the carbon footprint is estimated at 604 Mt CO2 eq, an increase of 7% compared to 2020, which was characterized by a historic drop in greenhouse gas emissions in connection with the health crisis. The rebound in emissions in 2021 would however remain below the level of emissions in 2019. Since 1995, the carbon footprint has decreased by 9%, while domestic final demand, which partly determines the level of the footprint, has increased by 50%. The decrease in the carbon footprint between 1995 and 2021 reflects two distinct dynamics: a reduction in domestic emissions (households and economic activities) by 27% and an increase in emissions associated with imports by 20%. In 2021, imported emissions represent 51% of the total footprint. On a per capita basis, the carbon footprint is estimated at 8.9 tons of CO2eq per person in 2021. Given the increase in population, the reduction in carbon footprint per person between 1995 and 2021 is estimated to be 20%.

The carbon footprint of France's final demand by consumption item

In 2018, the average carbon footprint of a French person is estimated at 9.2 tons of CO2 eq. This estimate includes direct household emissions (private cars and home heating) as well as emissions associated with goods and services addressed to final demand (final consumption and investments). Direct household emissions and those associated with the 64 goods and services making up final demand can be allocated to different consumption items: travel, housing, food, equipment and services.

Travel, housing and food account for three quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions of the carbon footprint of a French person: 31% for household transportation (2.9 t CO2 eq/capita), 22% for their housing (2.0 t CO2 eq/capita), 22% for their food (2.0 t CO2 eq/capita), 10% for the purchase of capital goods (0.9 t CO2 eq/capita) and 15% for market and non-market services used by households (1.4 t CO2 eq/capita). Approximately half of the emissions are imported for travel (47%), food (46%), and administration, health, education and social action (48%). Imported emissions are predominant for equipment (81%) and market services (63%) and minor for housing (38%).

Breakdown of carbon footprint by consumption item in 2018

Note: the footprint and the inventory (see glossary) cover the three main GHGs ( CO2, CH4, N2O ) excluding LULUCF.

Scope: "Kyoto" perimeter (metropolitan France and overseas territories belonging to the EU).

Sources: SDES, 2022 from Citepa; IEA; FAO; Customs; Eurostat; Insee