We trade the cocktail on the terrace for a hot chocolate on the terrace this Friday. The setup took longer than expected, but here it is: since this Thursday, March 31, it is forbidden to heat the terracesaccording to a decree published in the Official Journal. This measure provided for by the Climate and Resilience Law was to apply at the end of winter 2021. It has been postponed so as not to further weaken the cafes, bars and restaurants in tension during the health crisis.
Too harmful to the environment
Emmanuelle Wargon, Minister Delegate to the Minister for Ecological Transition, believes that “the heated terrace is absolute nonsense”, while indicating that their ban will “save half a million tonnes of CO2 each year”. These 500,000 tonnes of CO2 are equivalent to the average annual emissions of 300,000 cars in France, specifies Le Figaro.
Already in January 2020, the Négawatt association had calculated the carbon footprint of heated terraces. Thus, a terrace 15 meters long by 5 wide, equipped with 5 heaters on 14 hours a day between November and March, would emit 13.7 tonnes of Co2 in four months. Or the equivalent of a “big new sedan going around the earth three times” according to the study.
Some places are exceptions
It concerns “covered, airtight places closed by rigid side walls” as well as “mobile, covered and closed installations hosting fairground or circus activities or hosting cultural, sporting, festive, religious or political events“, specifies the decree published in the Official Journal.
