The Ecological Imperative

On the roof of a former Renault factory in Flins, Yasmine Belkacem inspects thousands of solar panels that now power a massive data center where assembly lines once stood. Five hundred kilometers south in the Camargue, marine biologist Antoine Leclerc monitors wetlands threatened by rising sea levels while developing nature-based solutions for coastal protection. In downtown Grenoble, Mamadou Diop retrofits a 1960s apartment building to meet stringent energy efficiency standards, part of France's massive building renovation program. These three professionals—working in renewable energy, ecosystem services, and energy efficiency—embody France's green economic transformation.

Climate change is not a distant threat for France but a present reality reshaping its economy. From deadly heatwaves to disappearing Alpine glaciers, from flooding cities to parched farmlands, environmental pressures force fundamental economic reconsiderations. This chapter explores how France navigates the transition to a sustainable economy, examining the policies, innovations, and transformations required to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 while maintaining prosperity and social cohesion.