France, similarly to most other industrialised countries, only started placing importance on environmental policies in the last quarter of the 20th century. Since the slow beginning phase of creating the necessary institutions, France has seen vast improvement in this area, with clearly outlined eco-policies. This is perhaps the most visible in France’s Transportation sector: introduction of green tax bonuses for buyers of fuel-efficient cars, increase of tax mileage for lorries, and the develpoment of the rail freight industry.
Various policies have also been imposed on the building industry: low energy consumption policy on new public buildings, as well as for the private sector (by 2012), and the introduction of „powerful incentive mechanisms” to promote eco-friendly solutions in the private sector.
Since the introduction of Eco-labels, French consumers also seem to be more aware of the effect that their purchases have on the environment. Currently, about two-thirds of french consumers buy their household goods according to the product’s energy label, which indicates its degree of energy conservation.
For now, it seems there is a strong awareness of environmental issues, and the recent announcement of a planned carbon tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions suggests that more eco-friendly policies are in line for France. On the other hand, these policies are still rather weak, and this will probably only improve when the French government’s reluctance to burden businesses with the cost of remodelling themselves to more eco-friendly functioning dwindles.
