The Paradoxes of the Present

France in the 2020s faces environmental challenges that expose deep contradictions between its global climate leadership and domestic realities. The nation that hosted the historic Paris Agreement struggles with its own emissions reductions. The country promoting ecological transition faces fierce resistance to specific environmental policies. The republic championing universal values confronts growing inequalities in environmental impacts and adaptation capacities.

This chapter examines the most pressing contemporary environmental challenges facing France, from energy transition and agricultural transformation to urban sustainability and biodiversity collapse. We analyze not just technical dimensions but also the political conflicts, social tensions, and economic trade-offs that make these challenges so complex. Throughout, we pay attention to how different groups experience and respond to these challenges, revealing the human dimensions of environmental change.