“This unprecedented bill will allow France to position itself as the future European leader in green industry and the breeding ground for tomorrow’s green technologies”wants to believe the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, following around ten months of work carried out between Bercy, the National Assembly and the Senate.
By chance of the calendar or carefully prepared agenda, the minister opened on Wednesday morning in Bercy the first edition of a decarbonization forum in Paris in the presence of industrialists, the Paris Deep Decarbonization Forum.
The themes of the event match those of the text of the law, emblematic for the executive which wishes “put an end to massive deindustrialization” that France has known. The bill was adopted on Tuesday by the deputies by 231 votes to 62. It must be adopted on Wednesday followingnoon by the senators in the same terms.
Parliamentarians from both chambers late Monday evening agreed on a compromise version of this green industry law.
General view of the Senate on February 1, 2023Photo AFP/Archives / Ludovic MARIN.
One of its main objectives will be to accelerate the reindustrialization of the country, with the objective of “divide by two”according to the government, the deadlines for setting up factories, today estimated at 17 months.
It is also regarding encouraging the deployment of major decarbonization technologies, those of “big five” – wind power, photovoltaics, heat pumps, batteries, carbon-free hydrogen.
Still with a view to simplification, certain major so-called projects “of major national interest” will benefit from an exceptional procedure which gives the State a hand… While involving, upstream, the local authorities and in particular the local municipalities, a system dear to the Senate.
“Blurred contours”
On the financing side, the executive is banking on private savings (retirement savings, life insurance) and provides in this law for the launch of a new product intended for the youngest, the “future climate savings plan”unlocked when the saver reaches the age of majority and following five years of savings.
Several unknowns nevertheless remain and will be debated within the framework of the finance bill for 2024 in the coming weeks in Parliament, in particular on the contours of a tax credit in favor of companies which invest in green industries. A measure already targeted by multiple amendments in the Assembly.
A contaminated industrial wasteland in Evreux (Eure) in January 2021Photo AFP/Archives / Sameer Al-DOUMY.
For PS deputy Gérard Leseul, whose group abstained, “this text sorely lacks ambition” because of his “blurred contours” in between “greenwashing” et “greening of the economy” et “shortcomings in the financing part”.
On the far right, RN deputies voted for this text “technocratic and visionless” pour “a tiny reason: the few procedural accelerations for the development of industrial projects”.
Another point of vigilance for parliamentarians, the signposting to be confirmed of the means intended for the rehabilitation of industrial wastelands: “Communities must not be left with the responsibility of rehabilitating wastelands that would remain on their hands”points out the rapporteur (Les Républicains) in the Senate Laurent Somon.
On this aspect, Bruno Le Maire is committed to ensuring that the Banque des Territories invests “one billion euros to develop 50 turnkey sites of 2,000 hectares”.
The law will not, however, include a much-discussed device which was added by the Assembly in the middle of the summer once morest the advice of the government, that of resolutions of the type “Say on Climate”requiring listed companies to consult their shareholders on their climate strategy.
Deputies and senators finally withdrew it during their negotiations, going in the direction of the government. “We can always add procedures and hope for a positive impact but that’s beside the point”we estimate at Bercy, adding that “the path is already made” thanks to the directive on the duty of vigilance of companies in matters of sustainability, currently being finalized at European level.
