France Unveils Bold 2050 Fossil Fuel Phaseout Roadmap

According to the April 2026 report, fossil fuels accounted for less than 60 per cent of France's final energy consumption in 2023, down from 65 per cent in 2011. However, the report notes that France remains heavily dependent on imports, with more than 95 per cent of its gas and oil sourced from abroad.

The roadmap, driven primarily by the country's Multiannual Energy Planning (PPE), sets targets to reduce the share of fossil fuels in final energy consumption to 40 per cent by 2030 and 30 per cent by 2035, with the ultimate objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The report establishes specific "end-of-consumption" targets for fossil fuels used for energy purposes. Coal is targeted for phaseout by 2030, including the closure of France's last two remaining coal-fired power plants by 2027. Oil consumption is targeted for phaseout by 2045, while fossil gas is scheduled to be phased out by 2050.

The report also notes that France previously passed legislation to phase out all domestic hydrocarbon production by 2040.

In the transport sector, the roadmap relies heavily on electrification to reduce oil dependence. France has set a target for electric vehicles to account for 66 per cent of new car sales by 2030.

To reduce reliance on imported vehicles, French manufacturers aim to produce 4,00,000 electric vehicles annually by 2027, increasing production to one million EVs per year by 2030.

The roadmap also calls for a 25 per cent increase in public transport use by 2030 and the electrification of heavy goods vehicles and buses.

As part of the social support measures included in the strategy, the government plans to resume "social EV leasing" in June 2026, providing 50,000 additional subsidised electric vehicles for modest-income households and middle-class workers.

In the buildings sector, the report outlines measures to move away from gas and oil heating systems while improving energy efficiency.

According to the roadmap, it will no longer be possible to install gas boilers in new buildings after the end of 2026. France also aims to install one million heat pumps per year by 2030.

The strategy targets a 60 per cent reduction in residential oil-fired boilers and an 85 per cent reduction in tertiary-sector oil boilers by 2030, to completely phase out fossil oil for heating by 2035.

The report further states that two million social housing units will need to phase out gas use by 2050.

France's electricity sector already remains largely low-carbon. The roadmap says that 95 per cent of the country's electricity mix in 2024 came from nuclear and renewable energy sources.

To support what the report describes as the "massive electrification" of the economy, France plans to launch a program to build new EPR2 nuclear reactors and extend the operational life of its existing nuclear fleet.

The roadmap also includes plans to expand renewable energy generation. France aims to reach 15 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2035, representing a fifteen-fold increase compared to 2017 levels, while adding 1.3 gigawatts of onshore wind annually.

The report additionally calls for a threefold increase in installed solar photovoltaic capacity by 2035, a 2.8-gigawatt increase in hydropower, a sixfold increase in biomethane production, and deployment of 8 gigawatts of electrolysers for hydrogen production by 2035.

French officials describe the roadmap as both a climate strategy and an energy sovereignty plan designed to shield the country from volatile fossil fuel imports while building a domestic clean energy economy.

- ANI