French President Unveils Ambitious Green Transport Goals For 2030

On October 12, 2021, French president Emmanuel Macron revealed his new plan to make France a global green hydrogen leader by the year 2030. Quite simply, the plan is called France 2030, and the entirety of the plan involves several moving parts, including amping up the country’s production of electric vehicles across the board. 

The two main goals, Macron said, are decarbonization and innovation. At the beginning of the pandemic, France—along with the rest of the world—faced a critical shortage of personal protective equipment. Supply chain hiccups, which the world is still working its way through, were largely to blame. Citing that recent, painful example, Macron says that France needs to move more of its production of essential goods back home instead of relying on external sources. That includes goods from vehicles to medicine, as well as the semiconductors everyone is currently out of. 

To accomplish this goal, Macron says the French government is investing 30 billion Euros into its France 2030 plan. These include 8 billion Euros for decarbonization, including a plan to roll out small nuclear reactors, along with more efficient nuclear waste management in tandem with those new reactors. These reactors, he said, will help to produce green hydrogen via electrolysis in two megafactories by the year 2030. Green hydrogen uses water as its source, along with renewable energy not sourced from fossil fuels to aid in its creation. 

Additionally, the France 2030 plan will invest 4 billion Euros into building up the French transportation sector. The plan is to produce at least two million electric and hybrid vehicles in France by 2030—as well as its first-ever low-carbon airplane. 

The France 2030 plan also includes 6 billion Euros for the tech sector, including semiconductor production capabilities. An additional 3 billion Euros is earmarked for healthcare, and 1.5 billion for new agriculture and food developments that will all be key components to revitalize the national economy. Another 3 billion will be made available as part of a fund to fuel French innovation via promising startups. 

It’s worth noting that France will hold its next presidential election in April, 2022. Macron has said he will not begin campaigning until the new year, but many view the France 2030 announcement as the unofficial start of his campaign. 

French President Unveils Ambitious Green Transport Goals For 2030
Source: Philippines Election