France and the Environment

France comes 66th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. France does the second-best for its environmental performance₁. It comes in the best 20 in terms of its score on the Green Future Index₂. It does better than average when it comes to its forested percent change 2000-2020₃, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, energy to GDP efficiency₄ and in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₅. Scrutiny by the European Parliament finds that France has effectively reduced its emissions by 31.2% between 2005 and 2023₆. France does not succeed in everything, however. France does worse than average in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₇. France conducted nuclear weapons testing in French Polynesia (southern Pacific) for thirty years, at the Mururoa Atoll. It was so committed to this that its service blew up Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior ship whilst it was harboured in New Zealand in 1985, killing one crew member₈, because it was preparing to protest Mururoa. Despite no tests being conducted for thirty years, the area is still so radioactive that the French military guard it.

1. France's Responsibility Towards The Environment
2. Data Sets
   1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020
   2. Environmental Performance
   3. Energy to GDP Efficiency
   4. International Accords on the Environment
   5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment
   6. Meat Consumption
   7. Green Future Index
3. Links

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1. France's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #the_environment

Compared to Europe (2025)9
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank9
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
15	Luxembourg	71.4
16	Sweden	71.8
17	Finland	71.9
18	France	72.8
19	Romania	73.8
20	UK	74.4
21	Turkey	75.0
22	Belgium	75.3
23	Bulgaria	75.8
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)9
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank9
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
63	Finland	71.9
64	Yemen	71.9
65	Pakistan	72.0
66	France	72.8
67	Congo, DR	73.0
68	Romania	73.8
69	Swaziland	74.2
70	Chad	74.4
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

2. Data Sets

2.1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020

#biodiversity #deforestation #environmentalism #forests #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better3
Pos.		Total3
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
23	Jamaica	14.1%
24	Italy	13.8%
25	Fiji	12.9%
26	France	12.5%
27	Moldova	11.9%
28	Palestine	11.5%
29	Kyrgyzstan	11.1%
30	Serbia	10.6%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

In terms of its forested percent change 2000-2020, France comes 26th in the world.

Forests are carbon sinks, mitigating against climate change_10,11. Unfortunately, we are destroying over 70,000 km² of forest each year₁₂. In the last few thousand years, we've removed 30-40% of the Earth's forest cover_13,11, mostly to clear space for agriculture, and for logging_14,15. The produce from both is shipped from poorer countries to richer ones. Half-hearted government efforts and company obfuscation of supply chains makes it almost impossible for consumers to tell which foods and products are from sustainable sources, and which ones are encouraging irresponsible deforestation, meaning that there is little incentive for companies to relent.

The effects are catastrophic. 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation_16,14. It brings soil erosion from wind and rain which, over time, can almost-permanently stop any hope of growing food₁₇, and spreads desertification. Entire ecosystems are collapsing as a result, including ones that we depend upon₁₈. The water cycle is driven by forests, and their loss reduces ordinary rainfall, increases flooding, removes an abundant source of water filtration, and contributes to a rise in water levels.₁₉.

Some regions of the world are increasing their forest cover₁₁; the best from 2000-2020 are Scandinavia (13.8% ), The Balkans (11.0% ) and Baltic States (7.6% )₃. There is an overall trend that developed countries gathered their riches by using up their natural resources, and now, they pay poorer countries to use up theirs instead, whilst they can afford to slowly rebuild their natural environments. But it's not wholly that simple - some rich regions are still burning through what they've got. The regions clearing their forests fastest are Central America (-12.8% ), Africa (-9.1% ) and North America (-2.9% )₃.

For more, see:

• "Deforestation" by Vexen Crabtree (2024).

Averages by decade for France (for the ranks, lower is better):

Forest Area Change 2000-2020	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
France:	7.4%	5.1%
World Rank:	26th	⇣  27th
World Avg:	0.6%	-0.7%

2.2. Environmental Performance

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Environmental Performance Higher is better1
Pos.		20181
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
6	UK	79.9
7	Luxembourg	79.1
8	Austria	79.0
9	Ireland	78.8
10	Finland	78.6
11	Iceland	78.6
12	Spain	78.4
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

In terms of its environmental performance, France comes 2nd-best in the world; only Switzerland does better.

The Environmental Performance Index 2018 data includes 24 indicators including air pollution, water and sanitation, biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental health, combined into a single score by country, by the Yale University Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

2.3. Energy to GDP Efficiency

#energy #sustainability #the_environment

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better4
Pos.		2022 Avg4
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
63	Tunisia	0.93
64	Israel	0.94
65	Djibouti	0.94
66	France	0.95
67	Portugal	0.95
68	Uruguay	0.96
69	Nicaragua	0.96
70	Zambia	0.97
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

Regarding energy to GDP efficiency, France comes 66th in the world.

GDP per unit of energy consumption is often called 'Energy Intensity'. It's how efficient countries are at producing GDP in terms of primary energy use. It represents primary energy consumption using the substitution method, per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). A lower value means that less energy was used to maintain the country's GDP.

Averages by decade for France (for the ranks, lower is better):

Energy to GDP Efficiency	1960s  Average	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
France:	1.84	1.89	1.70	1.66	1.41	1.15
World Rank:	36th	⇡  33rd	⇣  91st	⇡  89th	⇣  92nd	⇡  88th
World Avg:	2.05	2.13	2.10	2.15	1.60	1.30

2.4. International Accords on the Environment

#environmentalism #internationalism

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
43	Netherlands	68%
44	Kenya	68%
45	Senegal	67%
46	France	67%
47	Nepal	67%
48	Niger	67%
49	Pakistan	67%
50	Liechtenstein	66%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

France ranks 46th in the world in terms of its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. France was one of the 19 countries that signed the Basel Convention on its very first day. It was also amongst the first batch of countries who signed the Montreal Protocol on protecting the Ozone layer in 1988 whilst most others delayed until subsequent years. It's not always acted well: France, the UK and the USA have reponsibilities under the Waigani Convention to protect South Pacific Islands from their hazardous waste, but, have neglected to ratify it into law.

Averages by decade for France (for the ranks, lower is better):

International Accords on the Environment	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
France:	14%	72%	61%	78%	89%
World Rank:	43rd	⇡  8th	⇣  51st	⇣  103rd	⇣  145th
World Avg:	8.5%	23.3%	45.0%	74.4%	90.7%

2.5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better5
Pos.		2011 %5
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
69	Cameroon	39.0%
70	Uganda	38.6%
71	Sierra Leone	38.6%
72	France	38.4%
73	Mongolia	38.4%
74	Hungary	38.0%
75	Mauritania	38.0%
76	Croatia	37.8%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

In terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, France is positioned 72nd in the world.

2.6. Meat Consumption

#animal_rights #animal_welfare #diet #food #health #meat #veganism #vegetarianism

Meat Consumption Lower is better7
Pos.		2021 kg7
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
157	Panama	85.0
158	Luxembourg	85.8
159	Antigua & Barbuda	85.8
160	France	86.1
161	Barbados	86.4
162	Canada	86.9
163	New Caledonia	87.5
164	Montenegro	88.4
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

France comes 160th in the world regarding reducing annual meat consumption per person. In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in France was well above the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₇

Vegetarian diets have health advantages over carnivorous diets. Plant-based diets use much less water than carnivorous ones, to the extent that agricultural and water management scientists are urging governments to encourage people to switch₂₀. Some vegetarians are morally opposed to the maltreatment of animals: some avoid meat products as an offensive against the meat industry. But there are problems with vegetarians, too. Some merely want to look good socially; some have accepted pro-vegetarian ideas that are plain wrong and misguided, and, some faddish vegetarian diets are harmful and dangerous. The countries that ate the least meat throughout the 2010s were Burundi, Congo, DR and Bangladesh₇.

On average throughout the 2010s, France's rate was 88.4.

2.7. Green Future Index

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Green Future Index Higher is better2
Pos.		2023 Score2
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
4=	Sweden	6.3
4=	Denmark	6.3
6	Netherlands	6.2
7	UK	6.1
8	S. Korea	6.0
9	France	6.0
10=	Spain	5.9
10=	Germany	5.9
12	Belgium	5.8
	Europe Avg	5.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

When it comes to its score on the Green Future Index, France is 9th-best in the world. The 2023 edition noted that France's nuclear contribution to its energy sector was the highest in the world, helping it avoid harmful carbon emissions₂₁

The Green Futures Index (GFI) has been running since 2021, and looks at 23 data sets for over 70 countries, with a focus on effectiveness, policy and planning 'for a low carbon future. It is complementary to existing goals and frameworks for sustainable development'. Datasets include qualitative appraisals and quantitative measurements on carbon emissions across multiple sectors, renewable and nuclear energy, recycling capabilities, green technologies used in building and construction, transport, scientific and industrial green innovations and patent quantities, climate action and climate policies. Each country is then ranked by their final score.₂₁.