Resource Renewal Institute

Green Plans in Action: France

French National Environmental Policy Plan

What is le Grenelle?
France's "le Grenelle Environment" (Plan) is a five-year plan for nationwide sustainability with targets set between 2008 and 2050. Created in 2007 through the new Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Planning, Le Grenelle's ultimate goals include an Environmental Guidelines Act with associated monitoring, actions, and Ministry reorganization. Like the Green Plans of the EU, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, and Mexico City, le Grenelle is founded on the ten principles of Green Planning as defined by the Resource Renewal Institute's 2001 publication, Green Plans: Working Strategies for a Sustainable Future - a Primer. The French Green Plan is long-term, comprehensive, dynamic, cooperative, integrated, informed, flexible, strategic, purposeful, and investment-intensive. Five diverse panels of stakeholders divided into six workgroups of forty members each to:

Fight climate change and control energy demand
Preserve biodiversity and natural resources
Create an environment conductive to health
Adopt sustainable modes of production and consumption
Construct a green democracy
Promote green development favoring employment and competitiveness

While the six workgroups address discreet issues within an integrated framework, the Plan calls for two additional "intergroups" on Waste and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Stakeholders include the State, employers, unions, local authorities, and non-government organizations (NGOs). Le Grenelle's diverse cross-section of 330 participants faces complex legal, social, budgetary, and technical obstacles, but has the benefit of national research bodies, public support and participation, and a charismatic public face in France's Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Planning, Jean-Louis Borloo. With parliament approval of Grenelle I in February 2009, Grenelle II, the Plan's technical application phase, faces a parliamentary hearing this month.

What makes le Grenelle a Green Plan?
Le Grenelle is long term, presenting an agenda that contains central issues for sustainable development with targets extending out to 2050. It is comprehensive, with four focus issues spanning climate change, biodiversity, health and the environment, and ecologically responsible democracy. With issues crossing social, economic, technological, ecological, and political boundaries, le Grenelle covers both immediate and longer-term initiatives. The plan also recognizes the need to continually refine actions and monitor policy implementation and outcomes. Its recommendations include institutional structures to direct this dynamic process.

The Round Table approach adopted by le Grenelle enables participation across public and private sectors, as well as civil society, through phase 1 workshops. Cooperation continues to inspire the Plan's following phases including phase 2, public debate; phase 3, round table discussions; and phase 4, new law and the establishment of implementation bodies. While the focus issues are limited, they are used as a framework to enable consideration of crosscutting implications for economic, environmental, and social needs. The resulting set of conclusions are fully integrated.

The Round Table approach is informed at every level by its structure of six working groups covering energy management and climate change, biodiversity and natural resources, healthy environment, sustainable production and consumption behavior, ecological-responsible democracy (institutions and governance), as well as two intergroups on waste management and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Further, the Plan's broad scientific base includes 330 participants covering the state, local government, NGOs, employers and employees, and support from applicable national research bodies. A report of final recommendations based on these extensive focus groups and cooperative work will go to the French President for decisions and action.

The Round Table recommendations address the four focus issues through combined program proposals with associated targets for specified years (e.g. 2020). Programs or action plans include specified outcomes (e.g. a transition to high-level energy-efficiency regulations and 33% new construction of low-consumption or passive/positive-energy buildings must occur by 2010). The Plan identifies "associated measures" like the development of economic incentives as well as new implementation bodies emerging in parallel with further research. By committing to targeted environmental goals while simultaneously providing freedom for participants to develop diverse ways to reach the goals, le Grenelle displays the flexible structure typical of successful Green Plans.

The Plan's emphasis on the role of the French President in catalyzing new law underscores le Grenelle's strategic management approach. Phase 4 follows presidential approval of roundtable discussions and emphasizes the creation of new law (e.g. Environmental Guidelines Act); a national monitoring committee; continuation of thematic workgroups on urban planning, housing, transport, waste management etc.; reorganization of the Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning; Action Programs; and annual meetings - all of which indicate a continuous process of setting goals, developing timelines, and monitoring and reporting on results. Further, the proposals make specific references to the involvement of the French Parliament, and the need for EU and international collaboration.

With new laws already introduced in 2009, the purposeful, results-oriented initiative has the support of France's Ministers and President required to make France's environmental policy future sustainable.

Le Grenelle's greatest challenge will be financial. The Plan refers, in some places, to Euros required, which shows that its authors recognize that achieving Le Grenelle is investment-intensive. However, the Plan will need to include more funding requirements and commitments through its ensuing phases for effective implementation.

Current Developments: le Grenelle for the Oceans (Le Grenelle de la Mer)
Announced in February 2009, le Grenelle Oceans will bring together experts, stakeholders, industry, government, and NGOs to form four working groups. Themes to be addressed include sustainable fisheries, biodiversity, transportation, energy, climate change, marine sector jobs, coastal development, and governance at local and global levels. While le Grenelle Environment does address marine issues, Le Grenelle Oceans aims to bring deeper, single-issue analysis to inter-governmental panels by summer 2009.

Current Challenges: a Snapshot
Some NGOs complain that the strength of the Plan has already diminished, due to events such as the February 2009 release of a decision that Monsanto's MON 810 corn does not present a threat to human and environmental health. Polls show widespread public opposition to GMOs and Jean-Louis Borloo, France's Minister of State, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Spatial Planning, now faces defending France's acceptance of MON 810 to the rest of the EU.